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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
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: saw · chair · craft · bowl · mouse · bass · toast · fan

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. toast — bread
  10. craft — boats
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bass — low music
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. chair — a leader
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. craft — a skill
  24. saw — the tool

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