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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. roll — a list
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cue — a signal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. fine — all right
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. staff — employees
  13. foot — a measure
  14. staff — employees
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. roll — a cake
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — high quality
  21. staff — a stick
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fan — a supporter

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