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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. cue — for pool
  3. lean — thin
  4. cue — a signal
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. degree — temperature
  10. cue — a hint
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. court — for sport
  13. degree — an amount
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. court — of a king
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. degree — from a university

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