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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. court — of law
  3. rash — hasty
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — a signal
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. court — of a king
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fall — the season
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. board — a committee
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. game — a match
  20. game — wild animals
  21. board — to get on
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. court — for sport

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