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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. net — in sport
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. charge — a price
  11. perch — the fish
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. sharp — clever
  17. net — for catching
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bear — the animal
  22. net — after costs
  23. snap — to click
  24. sharp — with an edge

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