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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: pop · perch · toast · wax · fork · fan · cue · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. mine — belonging to me
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. cue — a signal
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pop — to visit
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — for pool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mine — for digging
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. toast — bread
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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