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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fine — all right
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. season — of the year
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. plane — a tool
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. season — in sport
  20. pitch — completely
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. fan — a supporter

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