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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: racket · saw · chair · pound · clip · fan · cap · bowl

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pound — a weight
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. clip — a video
  9. chair — a leader
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. clip — for paper
  18. cap — a hat
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. clip — to cut
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bowl — a dish

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