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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 · cue · fan · rock · ground · rush · net · rule

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rock — music
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. hand — help
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rule — a law
  9. cue — for pool
  10. ground — crushed
  11. rule — government
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rock — a stone
  14. net — after costs
  15. rush — hurry
  16. ground — a position
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. net — in sport
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. net — for catching
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. cue — a signal
  23. ground — the earth
  24. rock — to move gently

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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