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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 124 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. pop — soda
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pop — music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. swing — music
  13. board — to get on
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pop — to visit
  16. face — part of the head
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. face — to confront
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. board — a committee
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. swing — in golf
  24. face — to point toward

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