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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. craft — a skill
  4. spell — letters
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. cap — a lid
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bat — the animal
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. cap — a hat
  18. spell — magic
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. chip — to eat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. craft — boats
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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