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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: roll · content · ball · jam · cue · ruler · rock · shower

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. ball — a dance
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. roll — a cake
  8. rock — music
  9. shower — to wash
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. roll — a list
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cue — for pool
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. shower — rain
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. rock — a stone
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. ruler — a monarch

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