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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. court — of law
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bear — the animal
  9. court — of a king
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — steady
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. court — for sport
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. tube — a container
  18. track — a song
  19. tube — the underground
  20. track — a path
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. firm — a company

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