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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stock — shares
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. squash — the sport
  9. shower — rain
  10. key — for a lock
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. cue — a signal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. capital — a city
  15. cue — a hint
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. key — in music
  18. capital — money
  19. cue — for pool
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. key — the most important part
  24. shower — to wash

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