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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: mine · suit · mouse · cue · shower · row · rule · deal

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  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. rule — a law
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mine — for digging
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. deal — to handle
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — rain
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. suit — clothes
  14. rule — government
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. suit — to fit
  19. row — a line
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. cue — for pool
  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