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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: mouse · hand · fan · fork · drill · bear · bass · track

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. track — a path
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. hand — help
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bass — the fish
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bass — low music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fork — in a road
  21. drill — the tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. drill — army training

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