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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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 — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rest — a break
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rest — what's left
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. object — an aim
  9. craft — boats
  10. object — a thing
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. board — to get on
  16. rest — what's left
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. object — to protest
  21. board — a committee
  22. ball — a great time
  23. board — a flat piece
  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