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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: cell · deal · band · drill · cue · fine · ruler · squash

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. squash — to crush
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. drill — army training
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cue — a signal
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cue — for pool
  11. fine — high quality
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. deal — to handle
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. band — a music group
  19. squash — the sport
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — a phone
  22. fine — all right
  23. cue — a hint
  24. deal — a big deal

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