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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bound — certain
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. spring — of water
  6. pound — a weight
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bound — obliged
  10. spring — the season
  11. cap — a lid
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cue — for pool
  14. spring — a coil
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bound — tied together
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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