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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. tube — a container
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — a grade
  9. spell — magic
  10. firm — steady
  11. bound — tied together
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bound — obliged
  15. tube — the underground
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bound — certain
  18. firm — a company
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. spell — letters
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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