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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.

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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: fall · bat · fan · foot · perch · bound · suit · bass

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bound — tied together
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bound — obliged
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bass — low music
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bound — certain
  20. fall — to drop
  21. suit — clothes
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. perch — for a bird

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