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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cue — a signal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. spring — of water
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stock — goods
  11. scale — in music
  12. stock — shares
  13. cue — for pool
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pit — in a race
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — a coil
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pit — a hole
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. cue — a hint
  24. ruler — for measuring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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