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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. club — for dancing
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. hand — in cards
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. prune — to trim
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. press — newspapers
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. club — for golf
  15. chair — a leader
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. press — to push
  19. club — a group
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. press — a publisher
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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