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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 · mark · straw · board · field · cabinet · saw · suit

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. field — for sport
  6. saw — the tool
  7. suit — to fit
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. board — to get on
  12. saw — the tool
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. suit — clothes
  16. field — farmland
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mark — a grade
  19. field — a subject
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. mark — a trace
  23. board — a committee
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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