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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. cap — of ice
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cap — a hat
  6. staff — employees
  7. track — a song
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cap — a lid
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chair — a leader
  15. swing — music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. staff — a stick
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. staff — employees
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. track — a path
  24. chair — to sit on

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