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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. cue — a signal
  3. spring — of water
  4. toast — bread
  5. pop — soda
  6. spring — the season
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mug — to rob
  9. spell — a short time
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mug — a face
  15. spell — letters
  16. chair — a leader
  17. pop — to visit
  18. cue — a hint
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. pop — music
  21. spell — magic
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bulb — of a plant

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