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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pop — music
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. board — to get on
  6. kick — in football
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pop — to visit
  10. board — a committee
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. season — of the year
  14. pitch — completely
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cue — for pool
  18. fine — all right
  19. season — in sport
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pop — soda
  24. kick — with a leg

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