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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. key — the most important part
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. season — of the year
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. object — a thing
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. bass — the fish
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — to protest
  19. row — a line
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bass — low 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