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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. cue — a signal
  6. land — ground
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — to tease
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. land — to come down
  23. track — a song
  24. land — a country

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