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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: fan · racket · pop · arm · roll · cue · kick · wake

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a list
  5. pop — soda
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. kick — in football
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pop — to visit
  15. roll — a cake
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wake — a trail
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pop — music

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