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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · rest · suit · cue · game · root · march · bass

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bass — the fish
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. cue — a hint
  7. root — of a plant
  8. suit — in cards
  9. march — music
  10. suit — to fit
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. shower — rain
  14. march — the month
  15. bass — low music
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. march — the month
  19. root — the cause
  20. suit — clothes
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. root — of a word

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