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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 116 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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. game — a match
  7. spring — the season
  8. cue — a hint
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pound — a weight
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rule — a law
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. cue — for pool
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. drill — army training
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. spring — a coil
  23. drill — the tool
  24. rule — government

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