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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: net · snap · hand · fan · cue · track · mouse · cap

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cue — a hint
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. hand — help
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. net — for catching
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. track — a path
  17. hand — in cards
  18. track — to keep track
  19. snap — to click
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. track — a song

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