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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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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: ground · mine · rush · craft · cue · toast · fan · stand

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. toast — bread
  3. craft — a skill
  4. cue — for pool
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. ground — the earth
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. mine — for digging
  13. ground — a position
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cue — a signal
  21. craft — boats
  22. ground — crushed
  23. rush — hurry
  24. mine — belonging to me

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