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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: rush · cold · mouse · pitch · shower · cue · chip · band

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rush — hurry
  11. chip — to eat
  12. shower — rain
  13. band — a ring
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cold — not warm
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. band — a music group
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. cue — for pool
  24. chip — in a computer

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