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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. board — to get on
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rock — music
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. cap — a lid
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. squash — the sport
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. lean — thin
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. cap — a hat
  18. squash — to crush
  19. board — a committee
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rock — a stone
  23. lean — to bend
  24. board — a flat piece

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