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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 120 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. cue — a signal
  4. charge — electricity
  5. content — happy
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pop — music
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. squash — the sport
  11. pop — to visit
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pop — soda
  16. content — the amount
  17. charge — a price
  18. mate — a partner
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. squash — to crush
  21. mate — to breed
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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