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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. cue — a signal
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cue — a hint
  8. game — wild animals
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. degree — from a university
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. tube — a container
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bank — for money
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cue — for pool
  20. degree — an amount
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bank — for money

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