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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: toast · fine · ruler · mug · land · clip · coach · cue

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  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. toast — bread
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. clip — a video
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. cue — for pool
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mug — a face
  10. cue — a hint
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cue — a signal
  13. mug — to rob
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. clip — to cut
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mug — a cup
  19. fine — all right
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. land — a country
  22. clip — for paper
  23. coach — a trainer
  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