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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pound — a weight
  7. ground — the earth
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. shower — to wash
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. shower — rain
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. squash — the sport

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