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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. net — for catching
  3. bank — for money
  4. court — of law
  5. present — there
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. perch — the fish
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. net — in sport
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. net — after costs
  13. spell — a short time
  14. court — of a king
  15. spell — letters
  16. bank — for money
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. court — for sport
  19. spell — magic
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bank — of a river

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