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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
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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: perch · fan · mouse · tube · jam · pitcher · field · chair

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. tube — the underground
  8. field — a subject
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. chair — a leader
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — farmland
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. tube — a container
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. fan — a supporter

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