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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 116 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. sharp — clever
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. spring — of water
  13. chip — for betting
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. spring — the season
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. spring — a coil

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