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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 120 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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cue — for pool
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. perch — the fish
  10. dip — to sink
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cue — a hint
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rule — government
  20. stock — shares
  21. rule — a law
  22. stock — goods
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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