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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cold — an illness
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. net — after costs
  10. cold — not warm
  11. can — a tin
  12. bulb — for light
  13. net — in sport
  14. bulb — for light
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fine — high quality
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. net — for catching
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fine — all right

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