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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  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. hand — in cards
  2. can — to be able to
  3. root — of a word
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. shower — to wash
  6. can — a tin
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. board — to get on
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. hand — help
  13. root — of a plant
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. can — a tin
  19. board — a committee
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. perch — the fish
  22. shower — rain
  23. root — the cause
  24. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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