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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. cue — a signal
  4. suit — in cards
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. sharp — clever
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mine — for digging
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. suit — clothes
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. perch — the fish
  21. suit — to fit
  22. cue — for pool
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. nail — for a hammer

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