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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · hand · cap · racket · fan · wax · board · pound

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pound — a weight
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. wax — to grow
  15. perch — the fish
  16. board — to get on
  17. hand — help
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. board — a committee
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cap — of ice

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