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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 · file · cabinet · rush · cue · bound · pitcher · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bound — tied together
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. file — a tool
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. file — a document
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bound — obliged
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bound — certain
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. kid — to tease
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. kid — child
  24. cue — a signal

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