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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: shower · track · court · branch · cue · cabinet · fine · rash

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. shower — rain
  3. cue — a signal
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. court — of law
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. cue — a hint
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. shower — to wash
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rash — a series
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fine — all right
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fine — high quality
  24. branch — a division

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