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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bear — the animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cue — a hint
  11. object — an aim
  12. present — the time now
  13. suit — to fit
  14. present — there
  15. cue — a signal
  16. object — to protest
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. suit — clothes
  19. object — a thing
  20. cue — for pool
  21. present — a gift
  22. row — to paddle
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. row — a line

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