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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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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: chest · deal · perch · mouse · fan · pound · suit · toast

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chest — of your body
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. perch — the fish
  8. toast — bread
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. deal — to handle
  11. chest — a box
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. suit — in cards
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. pound — a weight
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. suit — to fit

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