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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. net — after costs
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. suit — in cards
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cue — a signal
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a path
  11. rule — government
  12. net — for catching
  13. suit — clothes
  14. dip — to sink
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. plane — a tool
  18. cue — for pool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. track — a song
  21. rule — a law
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cue — a hint
  24. net — in sport

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