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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: suit · bat · drill · saw · cue · shower · kick · fork

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. kick — in football
  6. drill — army training
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. suit — clothes
  10. drill — a practice
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. suit — to fit
  15. drill — the tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. cue — a signal
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. suit — in cards
  23. shower — rain
  24. bat — the animal

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