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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.

Make a worksheet

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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. perch — the fish
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. suit — to fit
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. court — of law
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. court — of a king
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. game — wild animals
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. suit — clothes
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. court — for sport
  22. suit — in cards
  23. toast — bread
  24. drill — army training

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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