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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 116 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a ring
  4. shower — to wash
  5. cue — a signal
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pass — a permit
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. craft — a skill
  14. cue — a hint
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. craft — boats
  19. shower — rain
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. pitcher — a jug

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