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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: court · roll · pop · snap · racket · cue · current · deal

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. pop — to visit
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pop — soda
  5. cue — a signal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. court — of a king
  9. pop — music
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. court — for sport
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. court — of law
  15. roll — a list
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. roll — a cake
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. snap — to click
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — electric
  23. current — of water
  24. cue — a hint

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