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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. date — the fruit
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. swing — in golf
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. swing — music
  7. cue — a hint
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. craft — a skill
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. craft — boats
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — the earth
  16. swing — to play on
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fork — in a road
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. cue — for pool
  24. ground — crushed

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