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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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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — to cut
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bank — of a river
  11. clip — for paper
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pop — music
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. fan — a supporter

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