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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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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: ball · suit · rest · cue · row · spell · drill · rule

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. cue — a signal
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. rule — government
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rule — a law
  13. ball — a dance
  14. row — to paddle
  15. spell — letters
  16. drill — a practice
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rest — a break
  19. spell — magic
  20. row — a line
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. spell — a short time
  24. ball — a great time

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