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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cue — a signal
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pop — soda
  5. wake — a trail
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — humankind
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. race — the arms race
  12. pound — a weight
  13. net — in sport
  14. cue — for pool
  15. net — for catching
  16. bulb — for light
  17. net — after costs
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. cue — a hint
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. pop — to visit

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