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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bore — to drill
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cue — for pool
  20. date — the fruit
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — to go away

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