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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rule · file · cue · court · roll · field · toast · pop

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. court — for sport
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. rule — a law
  5. toast — bread
  6. field — for sport
  7. file — a tool
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. field — a subject
  10. cue — for pool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — to visit
  14. cue — a signal
  15. file — a document
  16. cue — a hint
  17. roll — a cake
  18. court — of a king
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. rule — government
  21. pop — soda
  22. roll — a list
  23. field — farmland
  24. court — of law

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