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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. game — wild animals
  5. cue — a signal
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bulb — for light
  8. key — in music
  9. cue — a hint
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. key — for a lock
  12. band — a music group
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. game — a match
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. cue — for pool
  19. band — a ring
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pitcher — a jug

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