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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rock — a stone
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. content — happy
  8. bulb — for light
  9. game — wild animals
  10. season — of the year
  11. rock — music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rest — a break
  20. swing — to play on
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. season — in sport
  23. rest — what's left
  24. swing — music

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