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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: pitcher · deal · mouse · ground · fan · leaves · craft · cabinet

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. craft — a skill
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. ground — the earth
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. deal — to handle
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. craft — boats
  24. mouse — the animal

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