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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: bulb · mate · present · cell · ruler · cue · fork · bat

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. present — a gift
  4. mate — a partner
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — a phone
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. mate — to breed
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. cue — for pool
  12. present — there
  13. bat — the animal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mate — a friend
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cue — a signal
  24. present — the time now

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