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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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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 · cold · chip · cap · ruler · bowl · perch · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cap — a hat
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. track — a song
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cap — of ice
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cue — for pool
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. perch — the fish
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cue — a hint
  19. chip — for betting
  20. cold — not warm
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cap — a lid
  24. perch — for a bird

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