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

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. shower — rain
  3. pop — soda
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cue — a hint
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. pop — music
  12. scale — in music
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. cue — a signal
  16. scale — size or range
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. shower — to wash

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