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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cap — a lid
  3. branch — a division
  4. bass — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. cap — a hat
  13. charge — electricity
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bass — low music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. cap — of ice
  24. mouse — the animal

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