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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 120 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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. board — to get on
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. spell — a short time
  7. current — electric
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. scale — in music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. scale — size or range
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. current — happening now
  17. spell — letters
  18. perch — the fish
  19. spell — magic
  20. stand — to bear
  21. current — of water
  22. hand — help
  23. board — a committee
  24. hand — in cards

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