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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: wake · club · fan · cue · toast · bat · season · spell

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. club — for dancing
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. cue — for pool
  5. club — a group
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. spell — a short time
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. toast — bread
  11. club — for golf
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. cue — a signal
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. spell — magic
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bat — the animal
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. spell — letters
  23. cue — a hint
  24. fan — a supporter

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