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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · game · present · court · fan · perch

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. perch — the fish
  4. game — a match
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. court — for sport
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. court — of a king
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. court — of law
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. present — a gift
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. present — there
  17. game — wild animals
  18. present — the time now

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