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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. cue — for pool
  12. deal — to handle
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. game — wild animals
  19. drill — a practice
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. snap — to click
  23. game — a match
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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