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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. file — a tool
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. file — a document
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. hand — help
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. file — a line of people
  19. perch — the fish
  20. can — to be able to
  21. band — a ring
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bulb — for light

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