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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. season — of the year
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. season — in sport
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. craft — a skill
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fine — all right
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. craft — boats
  19. fall — the season
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pit — in a race
  22. stand — to bear
  23. fine — high quality
  24. ball — a dance

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