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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. court — of law
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bulb — for light
  5. game — a match
  6. vault — a safe
  7. cue — for pool
  8. clip — to cut
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. clip — a video
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bulb — for light
  14. court — of a king
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cue — a hint
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. court — for sport
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. clip — for paper
  24. game — a kind of play

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