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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. perch — the fish
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. mate — a friend
  10. craft — a skill
  11. kid — to tease
  12. mate — to breed
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. kid — child
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. craft — boats
  23. chair — a leader
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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