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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. club — a group
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. kid — to tease
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. perch — the fish
  9. press — to push
  10. club — for golf
  11. kid — child
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. press — newspapers
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. press — a publisher
  16. chip — for betting
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. club — for dancing
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fork — in a road

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