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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: straw · bulb · cue · fan · court · cap · roll · pass

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cap — a lid
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cap — of ice
  7. roll — a cake
  8. cap — a hat
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. court — of law
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. court — for sport
  16. pass — a permit
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bulb — for light
  21. court — of a king
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. cue — a hint
  24. roll — a list

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