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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pass · cue · fan · ruler · chest · bowl · prune · drill

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. chest — of your body
  5. drill — a practice
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. cue — a hint
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pass — a permit
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. chest — a box
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. prune — the fruit

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