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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 116 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: rash · cue · land · hand · march · mouse · rock · mine

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mine — for digging
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. march — the month
  6. rock — a stone
  7. cue — for pool
  8. hand — help
  9. rock — music
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. land — ground
  12. rash — a series
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. march — music
  17. cue — a signal
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. march — the month
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rash — hasty
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mouse — the animal

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