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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. game — wild animals
  4. mug — a cup
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — to play on
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mug — a face
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. pound — a weight
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. swing — music

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