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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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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: tube · ruler · date · craft · content · key · fork · cue

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. key — for a lock
  7. tube — the underground
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. craft — a skill
  10. key — in music
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. craft — boats
  14. cue — a signal
  15. content — happy
  16. key — the most important part
  17. fork — in a road
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. content — the amount
  21. tube — a container
  22. date — the fruit
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. content — videos and posts

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