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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 116 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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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  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. kid — child
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mug — a face
  4. perch — the fish
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bass — low music
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  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