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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: wound · fine · present · ground · key · cue · file · ruler

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cue — for pool
  6. file — a tool
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. file — a document
  10. key — in music
  11. wound — an injury
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fine — all right
  14. ground — crushed
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. present — the time now
  18. cue — a signal
  19. present — a gift
  20. ground — a position
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. file — a line of people
  23. fine — high quality
  24. present — there

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