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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: hand · can · bore · cue · stem · fan · racket · mate

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. hand — in cards
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bore — to tire
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mate — a partner
  7. can — a tin
  8. mate — a friend
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stem — to come from
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. hand — help
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bore — to drill
  21. cue — a signal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. can — a tin
  24. stem — a stem cell

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