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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. perch — the fish
  4. field — for sport
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. field — farmland
  7. cue — a signal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. suit — in cards
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. field — a subject
  12. suit — to fit
  13. scale — in music
  14. cue — for pool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lean — to bend
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. spring — the season
  19. suit — clothes
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — a coil
  22. lean — thin
  23. scale — size or range
  24. cue — a hint

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