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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
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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: object · board · fan · spring · pitcher · saw · land · fine

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. object — an aim
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. land — a country
  5. spring — of water
  6. saw — the tool
  7. object — to protest
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. spring — the season
  10. land — ground
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. object — a thing
  14. spring — a coil
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. land — to come down
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a committee
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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