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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 120 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: cap · wave · stick · game · bat · object · fan · perch

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cap — of ice
  9. object — an aim
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cap — a hat
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. object — to protest
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. game — a match
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. perch — the fish

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