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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. cue — for pool
  5. drill — army training
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. stock — goods
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. suit — in cards
  11. drill — a practice
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bat — the animal
  14. stock — shares
  15. cue — a hint
  16. drill — the tool
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cold — an illness
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. suit — clothes
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. cue — a signal
  24. suit — to fit

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