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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. board — a committee
  3. chip — to eat
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. spell — a short time
  9. scale — in music
  10. spell — magic
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. chip — for betting
  20. board — to get on
  21. scale — size or range
  22. perch — the fish
  23. spell — letters
  24. board — a flat piece

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