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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: cue · clip · bat · row · mark · fan · toast · pound

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bat — the animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. clip — for paper
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. row — to paddle
  9. toast — bread
  10. clip — a video
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. cue — a signal
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. row — a line
  18. cue — for pool
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pound — a weight
  21. clip — to cut
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bat — in an idiom
  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