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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 120 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: pop · drill · racket · cue · bowl · kid · fan · temple

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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. fan — to cool the air
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. drill — army training
  8. pop — music
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. cue — a signal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. kid — to tease
  20. drill — a practice
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cue — a hint
  23. kid — child
  24. drill — the tool

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