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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. cue — for pool
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. date — the fruit
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. kid — child
  8. cue — a hint
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. mate — to breed
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. kid — to tease
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. date — on the calendar

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