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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. cue — a signal
  4. board — a committee
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bulb — for light
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. board — to get on
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bark — to shout
  15. track — a song
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bulb — for light

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