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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. rock — music
  3. rash — hasty
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. game — wild animals
  6. suit — to fit
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rock — a stone
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. game — a match
  12. suit — clothes
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. suit — in cards
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. kick — in football
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. rash — a series
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — with a leg

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