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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: ruler · season · pit · rash · perch · fan · net · suit

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. suit — clothes
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. net — in sport
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. net — for catching
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. net — after costs
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — hasty
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pit — in a race
  21. season — of the year
  22. pit — a hole
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

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