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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. club — for dancing
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. land — ground
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. land — a country
  8. craft — a skill
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. perch — the fish
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. land — to come down
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. craft — boats
  24. mouse — for a computer

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