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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. can — a tin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. club — a group
  9. board — to get on
  10. can — to be able to
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mark — a grade
  13. club — for dancing
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. board — a committee
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. club — for golf
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  24. mark — a trace

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