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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: chest · ruler · drill · bowl · firm · cue · net · fork

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cue — a hint
  6. drill — army training
  7. firm — a company
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. net — for catching
  10. chest — of your body
  11. drill — the tool
  12. net — after costs
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. fork — in a road
  17. net — in sport
  18. firm — steady
  19. chest — a box
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. chest — of your body
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. drill — a practice
  24. firm — decided

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