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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. dip — to sink
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — a grade
  9. clip — for paper
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cue — for pool
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. cue — a signal
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. clip — a video
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. stock — shares
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. clip — to cut
  23. stock — goods
  24. dip — a sauce

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