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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 116 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: object · cap · land · swing · fork · mouse · fan · bear

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. swing — music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cap — of ice
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. land — a country
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bear — the animal
  16. object — an aim
  17. swing — in golf
  18. cap — a lid
  19. object — to protest
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cap — a hat
  23. swing — to play on
  24. object — a thing

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