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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: last · ruler · band · dip · leaves · pitcher · land · cue

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. cue — for pool
  6. land — ground
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. dip — to sink
  13. land — to come down
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. land — a country
  16. last — final
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. last — to go on
  19. cue — a signal
  20. last — finally
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  24. ruler — for measuring

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