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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. swing — music
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. land — a country
  7. pop — music
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. swing — to play on
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pop — soda
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pop — to visit
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. swing — in golf

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