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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: ruler · bass · cue · lie · stick · row · pop · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bass — the fish
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. cue — for pool
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cue — a signal
  14. row — a line
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bass — low music
  18. mug — to rob
  19. row — to paddle
  20. pop — music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mug — a face

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