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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bound — certain
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bank — for money
  6. ball — a dance
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bank — for money
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bound — obliged
  11. wind — moving air
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. cue — a hint
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ball — a great time
  17. suit — clothes
  18. shower — rain
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. shower — to wash
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wind — moving air

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