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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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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: band · arm · mate · suit · fan · perch · pit · chair

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  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. mate — a friend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. suit — clothes
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mate — a partner
  8. band — a ring
  9. pit — in a race
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pit — a hole
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — in cards
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chair — a leader
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. band — a music group
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. chair — a professorship
  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