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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rock — music
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bass — the fish
  13. staff — employees
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. staff — employees
  20. craft — boats
  21. rock — a stone
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. perch — the fish
  24. craft — a skill

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