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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. last — finally
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pit — a hole
  7. suit — in cards
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pit — in a race
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. suit — to fit
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — final
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cue — a signal
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pop — soda
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pop — music
  24. fork — in a road

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