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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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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: chair · bound · ruler · fork · drill · pitch · cue · key

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. chair — a leader
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bound — obliged
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. key — for a lock
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. drill — army training
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. drill — a practice
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. key — in music

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