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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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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 · season · board · pop · pitcher · mug · deal · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. board — a committee
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a face
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. firm — decided
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. season — of the year
  16. pop — soda
  17. season — in sport
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mug — a cup
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. firm — steady

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