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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. content — the amount
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. firm — a company
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. firm — steady
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cue — for pool
  10. content — happy
  11. kid — child
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. firm — decided
  16. cue — a hint
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kid — to tease
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kick — in football
  24. bowl — a football final

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