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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 116 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: trunk · racket · fan · stock · content · court · cue · wave

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. cue — a hint
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. court — for sport
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cue — for pool
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. cue — a signal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. court — of law
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. court — of a king
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — happy
  24. wave — of the sea

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