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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bat — the animal
  14. band — a ring
  15. staff — a stick
  16. band — a music group
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cue — a signal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. ground — a position
  24. bulb — of a plant

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