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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. land — a country
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. rock — music
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rock — a stone
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. march — the month
  11. staff — employees
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. land — to come down
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. rush — hurry
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. staff — employees
  18. land — ground
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. staff — a stick
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. craft — boats

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