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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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. ruler — a monarch
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. rock — music
  7. scale — in music
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. drill — a practice
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. cue — a hint
  15. drill — army training
  16. scale — size or range
  17. drill — the tool
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. ruler — for measuring

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