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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. pop — soda
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pop — music
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. clip — a video
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cue — a hint
  16. clip — for paper
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. track — a song
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pop — to visit

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