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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
468
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: firm · stand · mine · racket · cue · band · game · suit

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. suit — in cards
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. game — wild animals
  7. band — a ring
  8. game — a match
  9. firm — a company
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. firm — decided
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. suit — clothes
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. firm — steady
  21. suit — to fit
  22. mine — for digging
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. band — a music group

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