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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. plane — a tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pit — a hole
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. file — a tool
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. file — a document
  20. bank — for money
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bank — for money
  23. perch — the fish
  24. stand — to bear

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