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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. cue — for pool
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rest — a break
  5. spell — magic
  6. march — music
  7. spell — letters
  8. track — a song
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cue — a signal
  11. spell — a short time
  12. cue — a hint
  13. track — to keep track
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. march — the month
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rest — what's left
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rest — what's left
  22. march — the month
  23. track — a path
  24. game — a match

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