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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. content — the amount
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bass — the fish
  6. spell — magic
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. cue — a signal
  12. content — happy
  13. shower — to wash
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. shower — rain
  16. wake — a trail
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bass — low music
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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