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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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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — a signal
  4. last — to go on
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. sharp — clever
  7. last — final
  8. cue — for pool
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. mug — a face
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. mug — a cup
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. stock — goods
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bank — for money
  21. last — finally
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. roll — a list

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