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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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Word bank
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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: mouse · fall · rule · straw · ball · cue · date · pop

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. cue — for pool
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a dance
  5. fall — to drop
  6. date — the fruit
  7. cue — a signal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pop — soda
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. rule — government
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pop — music
  22. fall — the season
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rule — a law

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