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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. swing — music
  4. bulb — for light
  5. net — in sport
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cold — not warm
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. cold — an illness
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pound — a weight
  16. cue — a hint
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. charge — a price
  22. net — after costs
  23. charge — in control
  24. net — for catching

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