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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · cue · charge · straw · pop · fan · bowl · pass

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pop — soda
  7. charge — a price
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. charge — in control
  14. cue — for pool
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. charge — electricity
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. pop — music
  22. field — a subject
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pop — to visit

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