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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · bowl · cue · saw · field · fan · season · pass

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. saw — the tool
  6. season — in sport
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. cue — for pool
  12. season — of the year
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. field — farmland
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. field — a subject
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. field — for sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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