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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. foot — a measure
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. kid — child
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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