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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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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: cap · row · leaves · deal · cue · staff · game · shower

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. cap — a hat
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — a line
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. shower — rain
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. row — to paddle
  15. cap — a lid
  16. shower — to wash
  17. staff — employees
  18. cap — of ice
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. cue — a hint
  21. staff — a stick
  22. game — a match
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. staff — employees

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