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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. cue — a signal
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. cue — a hint
  5. shower — rain
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. march — the month
  9. date — the fruit
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. march — the month
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. last — final
  16. last — finally
  17. key — for a lock
  18. squash — the sport
  19. last — to go on
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cue — for pool
  22. key — in music
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. march — music

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