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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. pop — music
  3. cue — for pool
  4. club — a group
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mine — for digging
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. cue — a hint
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. club — for dancing
  12. board — a committee
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. club — for golf
  15. scale — in music
  16. rush — hurry
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — soda
  23. board — to get on
  24. mine — an explosive

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