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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. track — to keep track
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. charge — a price
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. charge — in control
  15. bore — to tire
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. track — a song
  18. charge — electricity
  19. scale — in music
  20. wake — a trail
  21. track — a path
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. scale — size or range
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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