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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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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cue — a hint
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. cue — a signal
  8. shower — to wash
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. club — a group
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cue — for pool
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mate — a friend
  20. club — for dancing
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. club — for golf
  24. pitch — completely

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