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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: rule · cue · stick · staff · mine · cold · deal · track

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cue — a hint
  4. track — a song
  5. cold — not warm
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mine — for digging
  9. rule — a law
  10. staff — employees
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. track — a path
  13. staff — a stick
  14. deal — to handle
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rule — government
  18. cue — a signal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. staff — employees
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cue — for pool

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