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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. suit — in cards
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. tube — a container
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cue — for pool
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. suit — clothes
  16. tube — the underground
  17. perch — the fish
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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