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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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. coach — a trainer
  4. pop — soda
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pop — music
  13. field — for sport
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. lean — thin
  18. pop — to visit
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. cap — a lid
  23. lean — to bend
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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