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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: squash · bank · plane · field · perch · rock · content · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. content — happy
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bank — for money
  7. plane — a tool
  8. rock — a stone
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. content — the amount
  13. field — for sport
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rock — music
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bank — for money
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bank — of a river
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — a subject

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