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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hand — in cards
  3. cue — a hint
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. season — in sport
  7. drill — a practice
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. cue — a signal
  15. fine — all right
  16. drill — army training
  17. cue — for pool
  18. season — of the year
  19. can — a tin
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. can — to be able to
  24. hand — help

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