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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. fan — to cool the air
  3. pass — a permit
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a document
  12. saw — the tool
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. squash — the sport
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bass — the fish
  17. saw — the tool
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. file — a line of people
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. squash — to crush
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bass — low music
  24. fan — a supporter

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