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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cue — a signal
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. land — ground
  6. cap — of ice
  7. land — a country
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cap — a lid
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. land — to come down
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mark — a grade

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