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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. shower — to wash
  5. cue — for pool
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rule — government
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. cue — a signal
  21. rule — a law
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. cue — a hint

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