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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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Word bank
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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. swing — music
  3. cue — a hint
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. content — the amount
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — in music
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wind — moving air
  11. swing — to play on
  12. wind — moving air
  13. craft — boats
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. swing — in golf
  16. content — happy
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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