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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cue — for pool
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. band — a music group
  8. cue — a signal
  9. drill — army training
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. court — of law
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. rest — what's left
  14. court — for sport
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. band — a ring
  18. court — of a king
  19. wake — a trail
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rest — a break
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rest — what's left
  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