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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. march — the month
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. swing — music
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. scale — size or range
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pop — music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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