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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. pop — soda
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pop — music
  9. cue — a signal
  10. kick — in football
  11. pop — to visit
  12. cue — a hint
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. shower — to wash
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. pass — a permit
  21. cue — for pool
  22. scale — in music
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. shower — rain

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