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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. firm — a company
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. sharp — clever
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cue — for pool
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. firm — decided
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. game — wild animals
  23. firm — steady
  24. cue — a signal

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