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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. cue — for pool
  3. court — for sport
  4. rest — what's left
  5. court — of law
  6. last — final
  7. fall — to drop
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. cue — a signal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rest — a break
  13. fall — the season
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. court — of a king
  16. present — a gift
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. cue — a hint
  21. present — there
  22. rest — what's left
  23. present — the time now
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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