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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 120 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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bass — low music
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. cue — a hint
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. chest — of your body
  11. cue — for pool
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bat — the animal
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. press — to push
  20. chest — of your body
  21. deal — to handle
  22. press — a publisher
  23. chest — a box
  24. deal — an agreement

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