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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 120 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. object — to protest
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wake — a trail
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. season — in sport
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. object — an aim
  9. pop — to visit
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. plane — a tool
  12. season — of the year
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pop — music
  19. object — a thing
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pop — soda
  24. pitch — completely

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