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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.

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: net · fan · sharp · firm · rush · cue · foot · racket

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. firm — decided
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. net — for catching
  8. sharp — clever
  9. foot — a measure
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. firm — steady
  13. net — in sport
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. rush — hurry
  18. cue — a hint
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. net — after costs
  24. firm — a company

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