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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. field — for sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cue — a signal
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. date — the fruit
  10. cue — for pool
  11. net — after costs
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. field — farmland
  14. stand — to bear
  15. field — a subject
  16. tube — a container
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. net — in sport
  24. cue — a hint

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