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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cue — a signal
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. degree — an amount
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. plane — a tool
  9. spell — letters
  10. degree — from a university
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. spell — magic
  13. cue — for pool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mug — a face
  19. spell — a short time
  20. board — to get on
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. cue — a hint
  24. board — a committee

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