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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bear — the animal
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ball — a dance
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. court — of a king
  17. ground — a position
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. ball — a great time
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wind — moving air
  24. ground — crushed

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