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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. object — a thing
  3. pop — soda
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pop — to visit
  7. perch — the fish
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. kick — in football
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — a container
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. object — an aim
  15. pop — music
  16. object — to protest
  17. chip — for betting
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. perch — for a bird

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