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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 · rest · cue · arm · stock · fall · racket · band

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. band — a music group
  3. cue — for pool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rest — a break
  8. stock — shares
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stock — goods
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. cue — a hint
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fall — the season
  18. band — a ring
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cue — a signal
  24. arm — part of the 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