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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: mouse · game · fan · hand · cell · squash · perch · fine

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. squash — the sport
  3. hand — in cards
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — a phone
  7. hand — help
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — to crush
  14. fine — all right
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. fine — high quality
  17. perch — the fish
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. game — a kind of play

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