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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.

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: ruler · shower · tube · date · game · mouse · cue · stem

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. date — the fruit
  3. stem — to come from
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. tube — a container
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. shower — to wash
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cue — a signal
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cue — a hint
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. game — a match
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. shower — rain
  22. cue — for pool
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. tube — the underground

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