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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.

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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rock — music
  7. wax — to grow
  8. degree — temperature
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. degree — an amount
  11. roll — a list
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. roll — a cake
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a grade
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mark — a trace

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