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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: bass · bulb · drill · fork · cue · rule · chair · suit

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bulb — for light
  4. drill — the tool
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cue — for pool
  11. suit — in cards
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rule — government
  15. bass — low music
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. suit — clothes
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rule — a law
  23. drill — army training
  24. bass — the fish

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