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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: cue · stick · bark · craft · ruler · game · charge · mug

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. cue — a signal
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — boats
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. charge — in control
  7. game — wild animals
  8. craft — a skill
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mug — a face
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — to shout
  16. mug — a cup
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mug — to rob
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. game — a match
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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