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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · can · bore · chair · track · mouse · wave · pitcher

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. track — a path
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. can — to be able to
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bore — to drill
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. track — to keep track
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. track — a song

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