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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. march — the month
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. board — a committee
  8. can — a tin
  9. perch — the fish
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — all right
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. board — to get on
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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