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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: rock · mouse · toast · pit · kick · cue · shower · roll

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pit — in a race
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. shower — to wash
  7. roll — a cake
  8. shower — rain
  9. pit — a hole
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. toast — bread
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. kick — in football
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. cue — a hint
  20. roll — a list
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. rock — a stone
  24. kick — a thrill

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