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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. tube — the underground
  3. club — for golf
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. firm — steady
  10. tube — a container
  11. club — for dancing
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. firm — decided
  15. club — a group
  16. face — to confront
  17. firm — a company
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — in a race
  24. tube — in a tire

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