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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. cue — a hint
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. spell — magic
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. cue — a signal
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. shower — rain
  11. spell — letters
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bat — the animal
  16. root — the cause
  17. shower — to wash
  18. cue — for pool
  19. spell — a short time
  20. staff — employees
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. staff — employees
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. staff — a stick

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