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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. field — farmland
  6. rest — a break
  7. mark — a trace
  8. field — for sport
  9. firm — decided
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mark — a grade
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bass — the fish
  16. can — a tin
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. firm — a company
  21. field — a subject
  22. firm — steady
  23. rest — what's left
  24. can — a tin

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