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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 120 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 was a fun ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. tear — from crying
  3. cue — a hint
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. saw — the tool
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cap — of ice
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. tear — from crying
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. can — a tin
  15. stock — shares
  16. tear — to rip
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cap — a lid
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. stock — goods
  22. game — wild animals
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cue — for pool

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