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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 124 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fall — the season
  4. pop — to visit
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mug — a face
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pop — soda
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. key — in music
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mug — to rob
  20. fall — to drop
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pop — music
  23. pitch — completely
  24. fan — a supporter

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