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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. spring — of water
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. shower — rain
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cue — for pool
  15. ball — a dance
  16. cue — a signal
  17. shower — to wash
  18. chair — a leader
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. spring — a coil
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. cue — a hint
  23. ball — a great time
  24. spring — the season

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