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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. game — a match
  3. pop — to visit
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pop — music
  7. cap — a lid
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bank — for money
  10. pop — soda
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bank — for money
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cap — of ice
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. kid — child
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cue — for pool
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — to tease
  23. game — wild animals
  24. cue — a hint

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