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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rule — government
  7. mug — a face
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bass — low music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mug — a cup
  13. net — for catching
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rule — a law
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a document
  19. net — after costs
  20. cue — a hint
  21. net — in sport
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. file — a line of people

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