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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. cue — for pool
  3. content — the amount
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. firm — a company
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cue — a signal
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. wind — moving air
  15. shower — rain
  16. content — happy
  17. rash — a series
  18. ball — a great time
  19. firm — steady
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. shower — to wash
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. rash — hasty

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