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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. mark — a grade
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. capital — money
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mark — a trace
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. can — a tin
  17. saw — the tool
  18. can — to be able to
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. capital — a city
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. can — a tin
  24. saw — the tool

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