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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. snap — to click
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. capital — a city
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. tube — the underground
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. capital — money
  14. pit — a hole
  15. deal — to handle
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. tube — a container
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bore — to tire
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. pit — in a race
  24. capital — a big letter

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