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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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. game — a match
  3. kid — child
  4. cue — for pool
  5. game — wild animals
  6. kick — in football
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cue — a hint
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. scale — size or range
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cue — a signal
  20. kid — to tease
  21. branch — a division
  22. scale — in music
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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