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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mug — a cup
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mug — a face
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. cue — a hint
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cue — a signal
  12. craft — a skill
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. cell — in biology
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  24. cell — a phone

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