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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: cue · pitcher · stock · deal · hide · wave · bass · shower

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. shower — rain
  4. cue — a signal
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. deal — to handle
  8. stock — goods
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bass — the fish
  13. shower — to wash
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stock — shares
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. cue — for pool
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bass — low music

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