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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. net — after costs
  3. cue — for pool
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. band — a music group
  6. spring — a coil
  7. net — in sport
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bulb — for light
  10. band — a ring
  11. cue — a hint
  12. spring — the season
  13. firm — steady
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. spring — of water
  16. chip — to eat
  17. net — for catching
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. firm — decided
  23. pass — a permit
  24. firm — a company

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