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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. pop — music
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. cue — a hint
  7. club — for golf
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pop — to visit
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. suit — in cards
  13. club — a group
  14. suit — to fit
  15. rash — a series
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pop — soda
  19. cue — for pool
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fork — in a road
  22. rash — hasty
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. lie — to recline

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