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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: bat · cue · fall · can · ground · shower · temple · date

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. date — the fruit
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. shower — rain
  7. ground — a position
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cue — a signal
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. shower — to wash
  12. can — a tin
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — the earth
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bat — the animal
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fall — the season
  22. can — a tin
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. temple — a place of worship

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