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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. club — for dancing
  3. net — in sport
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lean — to bend
  9. club — for golf
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. net — after costs
  13. chip — to eat
  14. perch — the fish
  15. lean — thin
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. toast — bread
  19. net — for catching
  20. chip — for betting
  21. club — a group
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. jam — a tight spot

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