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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: bank · fan · perch · pitcher · squash · row · ball · mug

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mug — a cup
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bank — of a river
  8. mug — a face
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. row — a line
  12. ball — a dance
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bank — for money
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bank — for money
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mug — to rob
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. row — a quarrel

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