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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bulb — for light
  9. kick — in football
  10. mark — a grade
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cue — a hint
  19. date — the fruit
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bulb — for light
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cue — a signal
  24. ball — a dance

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