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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. game — wild animals
  7. vault — a safe
  8. hand — help
  9. cue — a hint
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. rock — music
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bulb — for light
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cue — for pool
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. game — a match
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. squash — the sport

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