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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 116 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. fall — the season
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cue — a hint
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cap — of ice
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bulb — for light
  16. charge — a price
  17. mine — for digging
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. charge — in control
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. cue — a signal
  24. charge — electricity

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