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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pop — music
  3. net — for catching
  4. hand — in cards
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mug — a face
  9. net — after costs
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. hand — help
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. fork — in a road
  14. mug — a cup
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pop — soda
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. net — in sport
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pop — to visit

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