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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. saw — the tool
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. saw — the tool
  7. land — a country
  8. land — to come down
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. chip — for betting
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. cue — a hint
  17. chip — to eat
  18. rash — hasty
  19. land — ground
  20. cue — for pool
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. rash — a series
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bark — to shout

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