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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.

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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. deal — to handle
  3. race — humankind
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bulb — for light
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cue — a hint
  9. spell — magic
  10. cue — a signal
  11. race — a contest
  12. land — ground
  13. tube — a container
  14. ground — the earth
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. land — a country
  18. race — the arms race
  19. spell — a short time
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. land — to come down
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — crushed
  24. spell — letters

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