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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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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. cue — a signal
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. drill — army training
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. object — to protest
  11. prune — to trim
  12. object — a thing
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cue — a hint
  16. object — an aim
  17. drill — the tool
  18. saw — the tool

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