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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — happy
  5. shower — to wash
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. shower — rain
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pit — a hole
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. perch — the fish

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