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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: key · cue · racket · stand · shower · swing · kick · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. cue — for pool
  3. swing — in golf
  4. cue — a signal
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. march — the month
  7. stand — to bear
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. kick — in football
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. key — for a lock
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cue — a hint
  14. shower — to wash
  15. key — the most important part
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. swing — music
  19. shower — rain
  20. march — the month
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. key — in music
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. racket — a loud noise

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