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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. net — in sport
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. shower — rain
  7. cue — a hint
  8. net — for catching
  9. club — for golf
  10. cue — a signal
  11. swing — music
  12. net — after costs
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. club — for dancing
  15. cue — for pool
  16. fine — high quality
  17. court — of law
  18. fine — all right
  19. swing — to play on
  20. court — for sport
  21. shower — to wash
  22. swing — in golf
  23. club — a group
  24. court — of a king

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