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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. root — the cause
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. net — for catching
  7. root — of a plant
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. firm — steady
  12. net — in sport
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. firm — a company
  15. pop — music
  16. root — of a word
  17. net — after costs
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. firm — decided
  20. pop — soda
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com