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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: perch · saw · fan · stand · chip · field · cabinet · can

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — for sport
  11. perch — the fish
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. chip — for betting
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. chip — to eat
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. field — farmland
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. can — a tin

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