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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: cue · nail · racket · ruler · tear · rule · mouse · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. tear — from crying
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cue — for pool
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cue — a signal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. rule — a law
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rule — government
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. nail — for a hammer

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