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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pop — music
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cap — of ice
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. pop — to visit
  14. craft — boats
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. pop — soda
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bulb — for light
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wound — an injury
  24. chair — a leader

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