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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 116 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. chip — for betting
  5. mug — a face
  6. band — a music group
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mug — to rob
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. hand — in cards
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mug — a cup
  24. fan — a supporter

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