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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
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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: cue · content · bat · suit · coach · fork · fan · staff

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. staff — employees
  4. suit — clothes
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. suit — to fit
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cue — a signal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. staff — employees
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bat — the animal
  19. content — happy
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. content — the amount
  23. cue — for pool
  24. fork — in a road

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