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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: suit · hand · scale · fan · shower · mug · ground · stand

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. hand — help
  5. scale — in music
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. shower — to wash
  13. suit — clothes
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mug — to rob
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. ground — a position
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. ground — the earth
  21. hand — in cards
  22. shower — rain
  23. scale — size or range
  24. ground — crushed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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