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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rest — a break
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. can — a tin
  7. rest — what's left
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rest — what's left
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. branch — a division
  15. can — to be able to
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bark — to shout
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. row — a line
  21. can — a tin
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. row — to paddle

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