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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. court — of law
  5. rock — music
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bore — to tire
  12. fine — all right
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pop — soda
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — the animal
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pop — to visit
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pop — music

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