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

Word bank: kick · nail · march · cue · stick · current · deal · shower

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. current — of water
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. kick — in football
  6. march — the month
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — to wash
  11. current — happening now
  12. cue — for pool
  13. current — electric
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. shower — rain
  16. cue — a hint
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. deal — to handle
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cue — a signal
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. deal — a big deal

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