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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: rash · last · bowl · cue · mug · rule · cabinet · bat

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mug — a face
  3. rule — a law
  4. last — to go on
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. mug — a cup
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rash — hasty
  14. last — final
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rule — government
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. cue — for pool
  21. last — finally
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rash — a series
  24. bat — in an idiom

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