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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. fan — to cool the air
  2. object — to protest
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. object — a thing
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. swing — in golf
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. swing — music
  16. charge — a price
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stem — to come from
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. object — an aim
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. charge — in control
  23. swing — to play on
  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