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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. spring — the season
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ball — a great time
  8. spring — a coil
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. current — of water
  11. kick — in football
  12. spring — of water
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. squash — to crush
  15. current — electric
  16. cue — for pool
  17. shower — rain
  18. current — happening now
  19. cue — a signal
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. squash — the sport
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. ball — a dance

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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