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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: shower · nail · cue · object · stand · racket · mark · mine

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. object — to protest
  5. shower — to wash
  6. cue — for pool
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. mark — a grade
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. stand — to bear
  14. shower — rain
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. object — a thing
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mine — for digging
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. object — an aim

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