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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. capital — money
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. club — a group
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. capital — a city
  9. bat — the animal
  10. cell — in biology
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. cell — a phone
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. capital — a big letter

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