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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. file — a document
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cue — for pool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. file — a tool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. file — a line of people
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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