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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. court — of law
  6. last — final
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. deal — to handle
  10. last — to go on
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. last — finally
  13. bank — of a river
  14. court — for sport
  15. bank — for money
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bank — for money
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. stand — to bear
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. court — of a king
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. chip — for betting

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