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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. shower — rain
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. club — a group
  13. sharp — clever
  14. shower — to wash
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — for dancing
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. hand — in cards
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. hand — help
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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