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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 116 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: suit · spell · shower · cue · object · racket · bark · mark

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. cue — for pool
  4. suit — to fit
  5. object — to protest
  6. cue — a signal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mark — a trace
  9. suit — in cards
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mark — a grade
  15. shower — rain
  16. bark — to shout
  17. object — a thing
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. spell — magic
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. spell — letters
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. object — an aim
  24. shower — to wash

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