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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: wind · club · mug · rule · cue · deal · ball · can

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. can — a tin
  3. rule — government
  4. mug — a cup
  5. can — to be able to
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mug — a face
  10. deal — to handle
  11. ball — a great time
  12. club — a group
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. club — for golf
  16. rule — a law
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. can — a tin
  21. ball — a dance
  22. mug — to rob
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. club — for dancing

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