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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cue — a signal
  4. rule — government
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. cue — for pool
  7. scale — size or range
  8. spell — a short time
  9. roll — a cake
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. roll — a list
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. spell — magic
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fork — in a road
  18. rule — a law
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. spell — letters
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bulb — of a plant

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