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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 116 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: plane · fan · pop · track · cue · court

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. court — of law
  6. track — a song
  7. cue — for pool
  8. track — a path
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. court — for sport
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pop — to visit
  16. cue — a hint
  17. track — to keep track
  18. court — of a king

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