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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: pop · sharp · jam · cue · racket · fan · land · dip

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pop — soda
  3. cue — for pool
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cue — a hint
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pop — music
  12. land — ground
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. cue — a signal
  15. dip — to sink
  16. land — a country
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. pop — to visit
  21. sharp — clever
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. land — to come down

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