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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: pop · chest · hand · court · pass · stick · cue · net

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. cue — for pool
  3. net — in sport
  4. cue — a hint
  5. court — of law
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. net — for catching
  13. court — for sport
  14. chest — of your body
  15. hand — help
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. chest — a box
  18. pop — to visit
  19. cue — a signal
  20. court — of a king
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. net — after costs
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. chest — of your body

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