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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 120 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. tube — a container
  5. stand — to bear
  6. mark — a grade
  7. fork — in a road
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — of a word
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. tube — the underground
  17. root — the cause
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mark — a trace

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