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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cue — a signal
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. cue — a hint
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. fine — high quality
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. cue — for pool
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fine — all right
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bulb — for light
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wound — an injury

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