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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. ball — a great time
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. game — a match
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. plane — a tool
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. cue — a signal
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. suit — clothes
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. game — wild animals
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. ruler — for measuring

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