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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 116 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 take my ________________ from you.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cue — a signal
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cue — for pool
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. mug — a cup
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — happy
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. scale — size or range
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. pit — in a race
  21. scale — in music
  22. mug — a face
  23. squash — the sport
  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