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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: sharp · game · stick · cue · ruler · clip · perch · land

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. game — a match
  6. land — ground
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cue — a signal
  9. game — wild animals
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. land — to come down
  13. cue — for pool
  14. perch — the fish
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. cue — a hint
  17. clip — for paper
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. sharp — clever
  22. land — a country
  23. clip — a video
  24. clip — to cut

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