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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: suit · shower · deal · hand · cue · bat · fine · mark

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fine — all right
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. suit — clothes
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. suit — in cards
  12. shower — rain
  13. hand — in cards
  14. mark — a trace
  15. hand — help
  16. shower — to wash
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cue — a hint
  19. suit — to fit
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bat — the animal
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bat — for baseball

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