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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cap — of ice
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — the season
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. cap — a hat
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mark — a grade
  15. spring — of water
  16. mark — a trace
  17. cue — a hint
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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