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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 116 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: cue · ruler · kick · stand · straw · court · cap · shower

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. cue — for pool
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. cue — a hint
  11. shower — to wash
  12. court — of a king
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cap — a lid
  16. kick — in football
  17. shower — rain
  18. stand — to bear
  19. court — for sport
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cue — a signal
  23. court — of law
  24. kick — with a leg

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