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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cue — a signal
  8. mug — a face
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bulb — for light
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. sharp — clever
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. hand — help
  15. mug — to rob
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ball — a dance
  20. hand — in cards
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mug — a cup
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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