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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. scale — size or range
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. mug — a cup
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. hand — in cards
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. hand — help
  14. mug — to rob
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. scale — in music
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — high quality
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. deal — to handle
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mug — a face

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