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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: tear · ground · mug · club · shower · cue · mouse · row

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — a group
  4. cue — a signal
  5. row — to paddle
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. mug — a face
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. shower — rain
  14. row — a line
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ground — a position
  17. club — for golf
  18. ground — the earth
  19. mug — to rob
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mug — a cup
  22. tear — to rip
  23. ground — crushed
  24. cue — a hint

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