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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. wound — an injury
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. swing — music
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wound — an injury
  10. swing — to play on
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for dancing
  15. land — ground
  16. club — for golf
  17. pass — a permit
  18. land — to come down
  19. rule — a law
  20. shower — to wash
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. land — a country
  24. rule — government

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