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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. cue — a signal
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pound — a weight
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chip — for betting
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bass — low music
  12. snap — to click
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bass — the fish
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bulb — for light
  24. nail — for a hammer

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