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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. ground — a position
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. scale — in music
  7. ground — crushed
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ground — the earth
  10. net — for catching
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. can — a tin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. can — a tin
  18. net — in sport
  19. perch — the fish
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bank — for money
  22. net — after costs
  23. scale — size or range
  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