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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 120 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 · deal · pop · ruler · face · branch · bowl · game

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. cue — for pool
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. pop — soda
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. pop — music
  8. face — to point toward
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. game — wild animals
  16. face — to confront
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pop — to visit
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. face — part of the head
  23. branch — a division
  24. game — a match

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