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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. charge — a price
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. perch — the fish
  8. court — of law
  9. charge — in control
  10. court — of a king
  11. bass — low music
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. charge — electricity
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. snap — to click
  17. rock — music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bass — the fish
  20. rock — a stone
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. court — for sport
  24. rock — to move gently

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