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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cue — a signal
  5. hand — in cards
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cue — for pool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. court — for sport
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. court — of law
  13. fine — all right
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. court — of a king
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. cue — a hint
  23. date — the fruit
  24. hand — help

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