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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: jam · fall · plane · file · cue · fan · pitcher · perch

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — a signal
  13. plane — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. cue — for pool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a tool
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. perch — the fish

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