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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: object · cue · scale · wave · fine · fan · shower · pitch

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fine — all right
  3. object — to protest
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. scale — in music
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cue — a signal
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. shower — rain
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. cue — a hint
  15. scale — size or range
  16. cue — for pool
  17. object — an aim
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. shower — to wash
  23. object — a thing
  24. pitch — a sports field

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