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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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. mouse — the animal
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. present — the time now
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. file — a line of people
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pitch — completely
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a tool
  20. dip — to sink
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. present — there
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. present — a gift

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