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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mate — a partner
  8. march — music
  9. mug — a face
  10. mate — a friend
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. march — the month
  14. content — happy
  15. mug — to rob
  16. fine — all right
  17. mate — to breed
  18. fine — high quality
  19. content — the amount
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. march — the month
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fine — a penalty

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