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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cue — a signal
  9. lean — thin
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mug — a face
  18. present — a gift
  19. cue — for pool
  20. present — there
  21. lean — to bend
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. present — the time now
  24. bowl — a football final

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