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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. can — to be able to
  3. staff — employees
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. net — after costs
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — the earth
  10. can — a tin
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. net — in sport
  14. staff — employees
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. kick — in football
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. can — a tin
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. staff — a stick
  23. ground — crushed
  24. net — for catching

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