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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: fan · firm · kid · cue · hand · can · pitcher · bore

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. kid — child
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. kid — to tease
  6. cue — a signal
  7. firm — a company
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bore — to drill
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. cue — for pool
  14. can — a tin
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. can — a tin
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. firm — decided
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. cue — a hint
  23. can — to be able to
  24. firm — steady

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