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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lean — thin
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cap — of ice
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. lean — to bend
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. foot — a measure
  18. land — ground
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. land — a country
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. land — to come down
  23. pitch — completely
  24. foot — part of the body

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