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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 · bowl · cue · spring · scale · rock · present · fan

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  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. present — a gift
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. spring — the season
  6. cue — a hint
  7. scale — in music
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rock — a stone
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. rock — music
  14. cue — a signal
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — there
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. scale — for weighing
  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