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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cue — a signal
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. hand — in cards
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mark — a trace
  19. key — the most important part
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cue — a hint
  22. hand — help
  23. key — in music
  24. cue — for pool

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