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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. roll — a list
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. hand — help
  12. toast — bread
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. hand — in cards
  15. fine — high quality
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. content — the amount
  18. fine — all right
  19. content — happy
  20. roll — a cake
  21. root — of a plant
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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