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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. game — a match
  6. wake — a trail
  7. cell — in biology
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cell — a phone
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bulb — for light
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. current — of water
  21. cue — a signal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. game — wild animals
  24. prune — to trim

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