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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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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: cue · fan · hand · club · perch · bass · leaves · chip

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cue — a hint
  5. club — a group
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. chip — to eat
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chip — for betting
  10. cue — for pool
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. club — for dancing
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bass — low music
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. cue — a signal
  20. perch — the fish
  21. club — for golf
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bass — the fish
  24. hand — help

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