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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: staff · cue · rash · ball · mouse · march · ruler · spring

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. cue — for pool
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. march — music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cue — a signal
  8. staff — employees
  9. spring — the season
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rash — a series
  13. staff — employees
  14. spring — of water
  15. march — the month
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. spring — a coil
  21. march — the month
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ball — a great time
  24. staff — a stick

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