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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. sharp — clever
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. land — ground
  7. mate — a friend
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — in a road
  10. rush — hurry
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mate — a partner
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. land — to come down
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — a face
  23. scale — in music
  24. land — a country

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