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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. scale — size or range
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. cue — a signal
  7. chest — of your body
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cue — for pool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cue — a hint
  12. toast — bread
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. stock — shares
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. scale — in music
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. stock — goods
  21. chest — a box
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. chest — of your body
  24. plane — a 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