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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 116 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: cue · mouse · fan · march · can · pitcher · clip · ruler

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cue — a hint
  9. can — a tin
  10. march — music
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. clip — a video
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. clip — to cut
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. can — a tin

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