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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · rock · bay · capital · sharp · shower

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. shower — rain
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. shower — to wash
  18. cue — a signal

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