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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 116 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — to fit
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. club — for golf
  7. capital — a city
  8. root — of a word
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rush — hurry
  11. root — of a plant
  12. club — a group
  13. capital — money
  14. spring — of water
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. charge — electricity
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. club — for dancing
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — a price
  22. root — the cause
  23. spring — the season
  24. rush — a thrill

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