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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. plane — a tool
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. cap — of ice
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. net — for catching
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bear — the animal
  17. net — in sport
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. cap — a hat
  21. toast — bread
  22. net — after costs
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. racket — for tennis

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