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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. key — in music
  3. cue — for pool
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. game — a match
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. game — wild animals
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bore — to drill
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bore — to tire
  16. key — for a lock
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cue — a hint
  24. key — the most important part

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