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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · chest · board · object · foot · racket · cue · season

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. cue — a hint
  3. board — a committee
  4. chest — a box
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. board — to get on
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. object — a thing
  13. season — of the year
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. season — in sport
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cue — a signal
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. chest — of your body
  23. object — to protest
  24. racket — a loud noise

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