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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 · mug · pound · kick · spell · field · swing · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. field — a subject
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — a short time
  7. swing — in golf
  8. spell — magic
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. kick — in football
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mug — to rob
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mug — a face
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. field — for sport
  19. swing — music
  20. cue — a signal
  21. field — farmland
  22. mug — a cup
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. swing — to play on

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