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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: game · pitcher · cue · suit · shower · cold · coach · cabinet

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. cue — a signal
  3. suit — in cards
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. game — a match
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cold — an illness
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cold — not warm
  14. game — wild animals
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cue — for pool
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pitcher — a jug

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