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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. court — of a king
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. file — a tool
  7. face — part of the head
  8. mug — a face
  9. court — of law
  10. pass — a permit
  11. game — wild animals
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. face — to point toward
  14. court — for sport
  15. file — a line of people
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. file — a document
  20. game — a match
  21. mug — to rob
  22. face — to confront
  23. craft — boats
  24. pass — to succeed

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