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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bulb — for light
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. net — in sport
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cue — a signal
  8. net — for catching
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. net — after costs
  11. stem — to come from
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. hand — help
  15. kick — in football
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. chip — for betting
  18. shower — rain
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — to wash
  24. kick — with a leg

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