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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. ball — a great time
  3. cue — a hint
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pit — in a race
  8. band — a music group
  9. cue — for pool
  10. staff — employees
  11. band — a ring
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pit — a hole
  15. capital — a city
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. capital — money
  18. shower — rain
  19. staff — employees
  20. shower — to wash
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. cue — a signal
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. ball — a dance

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