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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.

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: ground · cell · rush · perch · stick · fan · mouse · court

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. court — of a king
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cell — a phone
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. perch — the fish
  15. ground — crushed
  16. court — of law
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. cell — in biology
  21. court — for sport
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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