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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 120 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 · fan · net · cue · court · ball · board · straw

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pop — to visit
  3. cue — for pool
  4. pop — music
  5. court — for sport
  6. ball — a dance
  7. board — to get on
  8. court — of a king
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. court — of law
  13. net — for catching
  14. ball — a great time
  15. board — a committee
  16. pop — soda
  17. net — after costs
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cue — a hint
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cue — a signal

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