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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · stick · land · bowl · file · chair · ball · pass

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. land — ground
  10. ball — a dance
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pass — a permit
  13. land — a country
  14. file — a document
  15. land — to come down
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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