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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. game — wild animals
  7. stand — to bear
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. scale — size or range
  10. perch — the fish
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. game — a match
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wax — to grow
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. wax — in the ear

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