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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. fine — high quality
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. board — a committee
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. tube — a container
  7. board — to get on
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fine — all right
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. tube — the underground
  21. mine — for digging
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pass — to spend time

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