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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. shower — rain
  3. object — an aim
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. court — of law
  10. season — of the year
  11. court — of a king
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. court — for sport
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cue — a hint
  21. fall — to drop
  22. season — in sport
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

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