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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pop — to visit
  4. field — farmland
  5. last — to go on
  6. cue — a signal
  7. field — for sport
  8. tube — a container
  9. cue — for pool
  10. snap — to click
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. last — finally
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. pop — music
  15. last — final
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pop — soda
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. field — a subject

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