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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. roll — a list
  7. hand — in cards
  8. drill — a practice
  9. hand — help
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bulb — for light
  12. track — a path
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. track — a song
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — the tool

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