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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.

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: rush · fan · pitcher · wave · game · chair · rest · capital

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. chair — a leader
  6. game — a match
  7. rest — a break
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. game — wild animals
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rest — what's left
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a city
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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