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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: date · stand · game · drill · cue · fan · land · fall

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — to bear
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. cue — for pool
  7. fall — the season
  8. game — wild animals
  9. cue — a signal
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — the tool
  12. land — to come down
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cue — a hint
  15. date — the fruit
  16. drill — a practice
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. land — a country
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fall — to drop
  22. land — ground
  23. fall — to drop
  24. game — a match

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