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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cue — a hint
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. shower — rain
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. stock — shares
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. cue — for pool
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pop — soda
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. shower — to wash
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. cue — a signal
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. stock — goods
  19. pop — music
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. pop — to visit
  23. content — happy
  24. cell — in biology

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