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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. root — the cause
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. object — an aim
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. root — of a word
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. root — of a plant
  21. object — a thing
  22. bat — the animal
  23. object — to protest
  24. ball — a dance

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