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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. band — a ring
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cue — a hint
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cue — for pool
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. present — a gift
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. club — for golf
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. band — a music group
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for dancing
  20. cue — a signal
  21. present — the time now
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cap — a lid
  24. present — there

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