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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. squash — the sport
  9. sharp — clever
  10. board — a committee
  11. root — the cause
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. board — to get on
  15. root — of a word
  16. perch — the fish
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. squash — to crush
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. root — of a plant

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