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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: fan · cue · racket · kid · degree · stand · staff · wax

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. degree — from a university
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. cue — a signal
  5. kid — to tease
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. kid — child
  9. staff — employees
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. degree — an amount
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. cue — a hint
  15. staff — employees
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. cue — for pool
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. degree — temperature
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. racket — for tennis

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