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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cap — a lid
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. cap — of ice
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. content — happy
  10. row — a line
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. root — the cause
  13. content — the amount
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. root — of a plant
  16. row — to paddle
  17. root — of a word
  18. cue — a hint
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. tube — the underground
  21. cue — for pool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cap — a hat
  24. content — videos and posts

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