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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cap — of ice
  3. stem — to come from
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. can — a tin
  6. stand — to bear
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. object — to protest
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. march — the month
  11. object — a thing
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. can — to be able to
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. object — an aim
  17. march — the month
  18. cap — a lid
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. march — music
  22. can — a tin
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stand — on your feet

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