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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. cue — a signal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mark — a grade
  6. degree — an amount
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. degree — from a university
  10. club — for golf
  11. mark — a trace
  12. degree — temperature
  13. shower — rain
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cue — for pool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cue — a hint
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. shower — to wash

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