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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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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: racket · cue · deal · hand · board · swing · fork · stock

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stock — shares
  5. board — a committee
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. cue — a hint
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. swing — music
  14. hand — in cards
  15. stock — goods
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. swing — to play on
  19. fork — in a road
  20. swing — in golf
  21. deal — to handle
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. hand — help
  24. board — to get on

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