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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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cue — a hint
  3. track — a song
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bulb — for light
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. track — a path
  12. bulb — for light
  13. game — wild animals
  14. mark — a trace
  15. cue — a signal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. mark — a grade
  24. patient — a sick person

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