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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. snap — to click
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. court — of a king
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. stem — to come from
  20. court — of law
  21. cue — a signal
  22. court — for sport
  23. cell — in biology
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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