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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 120 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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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 · mug · cell · straw · pit · mouse · cue · content

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. mug — a face
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. content — happy
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cue — a signal
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pit — a hole
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. cue — a hint
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mug — a cup
  23. content — the amount
  24. cell — in a prison

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