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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: bass · roll · cue · bowl · land · suit · fan · last

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. land — ground
  4. roll — a list
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. cue — for pool
  8. suit — in cards
  9. last — to go on
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bass — the fish
  14. suit — clothes
  15. land — a country
  16. last — final
  17. land — to come down
  18. bass — low music
  19. last — finally
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. suit — to fit
  23. cue — a hint
  24. roll — a cake

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