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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 116 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. firm — steady
  3. land — ground
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. suit — clothes
  6. firm — a company
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bore — to drill
  14. firm — decided
  15. rest — a break
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. rest — what's left
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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