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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 124 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. shower — rain
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. cue — a signal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. row — a line
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. fork — in a road
  18. row — to paddle
  19. board — a committee
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bat — the animal
  22. board — to get on
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. fan — to cool the air

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