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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 120 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. drill — the tool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. game — wild animals
  7. pop — music
  8. game — a match
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bulb — for light
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. drill — army training
  14. pop — to visit
  15. cue — a hint
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. drill — a practice
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pop — soda

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