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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: pitcher · net · ruler · cold · drill · mark · foot · cue

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. cue — for pool
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. cold — an illness
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. drill — army training
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cold — not warm
  17. net — in sport
  18. drill — a practice
  19. cue — a hint
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. drill — the tool
  22. mark — a trace
  23. net — after costs
  24. foot — a measure

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