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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cue — a signal
  5. present — a gift
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. can — a tin
  8. foot — a measure
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cold — an illness
  12. present — there
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. cue — a hint
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cue — for pool
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — music
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. present — the time now
  23. swing — in golf
  24. can — a tin

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