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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. court — for sport
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. shower — rain
  5. cue — for pool
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. cue — a hint
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. court — of a king
  11. scale — size or range
  12. court — of law
  13. mark — a trace
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. shower — to wash
  17. hand — help
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. hand — in cards
  21. scale — in music
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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