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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. net — for catching
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. net — in sport
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. net — after costs
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bank — for money
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bank — for money

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