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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. spring — the season
  3. can — to be able to
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. can — a tin
  6. spring — of water
  7. present — a gift
  8. march — music
  9. mug — a cup
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. bulb — for light
  13. present — the time now
  14. bulb — for light
  15. swing — to play on
  16. mug — a face
  17. present — there
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. swing — music
  22. can — a tin
  23. swing — in golf
  24. spring — a coil

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