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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: pit · ruler · hide · cue · branch · land · bulb · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — a law
  3. cue — a hint
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. rule — government
  7. land — to come down
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. land — ground
  11. cue — a signal
  12. branch — a division
  13. land — a country
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pit — a hole
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cue — for pool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pit — in a race

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