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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. ball — a dance
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cue — a signal
  5. ball — a great time
  6. land — to come down
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. land — ground
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bass — low music
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. can — a tin
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. can — a tin
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wake — a trail
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. cue — a hint
  24. fall — the season

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