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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: race · cue · row · game · ruler · calf · fan · drill

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. cue — a hint
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. drill — the tool
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. race — a contest
  12. cue — a signal
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. row — a line
  15. game — wild animals
  16. drill — a practice
  17. row — to paddle
  18. race — the arms race
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. drill — army training
  22. cue — for pool
  23. race — humankind
  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