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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 116 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. suit — clothes
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. suit — to fit
  7. drill — army training
  8. band — a ring
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. drill — the tool
  11. wake — a trail
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mug — a cup
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — of law
  17. mug — to rob
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mug — a face
  20. suit — in cards
  21. court — for sport
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. drill — a practice
  24. fan — a supporter

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