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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mug — a face
  11. rash — a series
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. scale — in music
  16. game — wild animals
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mug — to rob
  20. game — a match
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rash — hasty
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mouse — the animal

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