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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: pit · rush · mate · roll · date · cue · band · ruler

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pit — in a race
  4. mate — to breed
  5. roll — a cake
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. mate — a partner
  9. roll — a list
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cue — for pool
  14. band — a music group
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. band — a ring
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. cue — a signal
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. mate — a friend
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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