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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bark — to shout
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. club — for dancing
  6. cue — a hint
  7. foot — a measure
  8. club — a group
  9. shower — to wash
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. club — for golf
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. hand — help
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. cue — for pool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. hand — in cards
  23. shower — rain
  24. cue — a signal

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