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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. band — a music group
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. scale — size or range
  10. plane — a tool
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. saw — the tool
  14. band — a ring
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. scale — in music
  22. stand — to bear
  23. deal — to handle
  24. scale — for weighing

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