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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: foot · content · stick · bay · rule · bear · scale · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. cue — a hint
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rule — a law
  13. scale — in music
  14. content — happy
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. content — the amount
  22. rule — government
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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