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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: kid · racket · shower · rash · pass · cue · prune · mug

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. cue — for pool
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mug — a cup
  13. rash — a series
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. mug — to rob
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pass — a permit
  21. kid — to tease
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mug — a face

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