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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 124 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. perch — the fish
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bulb — for light
  20. dip — to sink
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stand — to bear
  23. cue — for pool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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