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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: land · ruler · cue · rest · toast · wind · pitcher · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. cue — a hint
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. land — ground
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cap — of ice
  16. wind — moving air
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. toast — bread
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cue — for pool
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cue — a signal
  24. rest — a break

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