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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. capital — money
  3. pass — a permit
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. ground — the earth
  8. can — a tin
  9. ground — a position
  10. capital — a city
  11. can — a tin
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. saw — the tool
  14. can — to be able to
  15. perch — the fish
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. chair — a leader
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fan — to cool the air

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