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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. spell — letters
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. game — wild animals
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. cue — a signal
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. game — a match
  12. cue — for pool
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cue — a hint
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. suit — clothes
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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