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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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. season — in sport
  3. present — there
  4. prune — to trim
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cue — a signal
  9. game — wild animals
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. season — of the year
  12. present — a gift
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. shower — to wash
  17. present — the time now
  18. game — a match
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cue — for pool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cue — a hint

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