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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: bowl · ground · perch · fan · track · key · plane · mine

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mine — for digging
  6. key — the most important part
  7. perch — the fish
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. key — for a lock
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. key — in music
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. track — a song
  16. ground — a position
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. ground — the earth
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. ground — crushed

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