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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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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. cue — a hint
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. chest — of your body
  11. band — a ring
  12. court — of law
  13. chest — a box
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. cue — a signal
  16. band — a music group
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pit — a hole
  19. club — for golf
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. club — a group
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pit — in a race

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