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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. press — a publisher
  8. stock — goods
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. hand — help
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stock — shares
  20. press — to push
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — to shout

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