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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rock — music
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. stock — goods
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — help
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. vault — a safe
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rock — a stone
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. perch — for a bird

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