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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. can — a tin
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pass — a permit
  8. season — in sport
  9. wake — a trail
  10. can — to be able to
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pit — in a race
  18. season — of the year
  19. pit — a hole
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cue — for pool
  23. can — a tin
  24. pass — to succeed

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