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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. perch — the fish
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. vault — a safe
  5. saw — the tool
  6. tube — a container
  7. pound — a weight
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pitch — completely
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. saw — 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