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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.

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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. pop — soda
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pop — music
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. shower — rain

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