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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.

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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rush — hurry
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. track — to keep track
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. perch — the fish
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. track — a path
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. plane — a tool
  11. board — to get on
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. track — a song
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. march — the month
  24. pass — a permit

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