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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. date — the fruit
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. game — wild animals
  9. march — the month
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. march — music
  16. cue — for pool
  17. march — the month
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — dry grass

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