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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 120 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pit — a hole
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. cue — a signal
  8. scale — in music
  9. cue — a hint
  10. can — to be able to
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — a practice
  16. can — a tin
  17. scale — size or range
  18. can — a tin
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cue — for pool
  24. drill — the tool

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