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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. club — for dancing
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. club — a group
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pit — a hole
  14. race — humankind
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. club — for golf
  17. rest — a break
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. track — to keep track
  24. race — a contest

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