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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 116 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: racket · calf · cue · ruler · mark · fall · land · present

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fall — the season
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. land — to come down
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. land — a country
  9. fall — to drop
  10. land — ground
  11. present — there
  12. cue — a signal
  13. present — a gift
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mark — a grade
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. present — the time now
  21. mark — a trace
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. fall — to drop

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