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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. swing — to play on
  5. shower — rain
  6. swing — in golf
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. current — happening now
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. swing — music
  12. current — electric
  13. cue — a hint
  14. current — of water
  15. fall — the season
  16. shower — to wash
  17. fall — to drop
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fall — to drop
  20. game — a match
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. game — wild animals
  24. cue — a signal

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