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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pop — music
  5. rash — a series
  6. pop — to visit
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rash — hasty
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pop — soda
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bass — low music
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bass — the fish

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