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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: cue · shower · file · ruler · drill · game · bass · saw

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. game — a match
  3. bass — the fish
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. file — a tool
  7. shower — rain
  8. cue — for pool
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bass — low music
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. shower — to wash
  13. game — wild animals
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. drill — the tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — a practice
  21. file — a document
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. saw — the tool

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