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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 120 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: hand · mate · cap · fan · ball · pound · cue · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. mate — a friend
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rest — a break
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mate — a partner
  11. ball — a dance
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. hand — in cards
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. cue — a signal
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cap — a lid
  23. ball — a great time
  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