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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. shower — rain
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cue — a hint
  5. content — the amount
  6. rest — a break
  7. content — happy
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fine — all right
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. fine — high quality
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. shower — to wash
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. cue — for pool
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bat — the animal
  24. rest — what's left

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