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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 I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. spring — a coil
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. cue — a hint
  8. spring — of water
  9. fine — high quality
  10. suit — clothes
  11. band — a ring
  12. spring — the season
  13. shower — rain
  14. suit — to fit
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. stock — goods
  17. cue — for pool
  18. fine — all right
  19. shower — to wash
  20. band — a music group
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. suit — in cards
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — shares

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