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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. net — after costs
  3. firm — decided
  4. present — the time now
  5. charge — in control
  6. net — for catching
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. band — a ring
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. net — in sport
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bulb — for light
  13. present — there
  14. band — a music group
  15. rule — a law
  16. present — a gift
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. charge — electricity
  19. firm — a company
  20. rule — government
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bulb — for light
  23. firm — steady
  24. charge — a price

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