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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: object · saw · rule · cue · racket · clip · fan · pitch

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. clip — a video
  6. clip — for paper
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. clip — to cut
  9. object — a thing
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. cue — a signal
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. cue — a hint
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. object — an aim
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. object — to protest
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rule — government
  23. cue — for pool
  24. fan — a supporter

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