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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 120 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. drill — the tool
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. chip — for betting
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bass — low music
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. chip — to eat
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. perch — the fish
  24. trunk — of a car

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