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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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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: can · stand · fan · trunk · pit · key · land · fine

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fine — all right
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. can — a tin
  6. stand — to bear
  7. key — in music
  8. can — to be able to
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. key — the most important part
  11. land — to come down
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. key — for a lock
  14. pit — a hole
  15. land — ground
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pit — in a race
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. land — a country

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