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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: snap · game · ruler · wave · pitcher · cue · mug · fork

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. game — a match
  15. fork — in a road
  16. mug — a face
  17. game — wild animals
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. snap — to click
  22. mug — to rob
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wave — of the sea

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