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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bulb — for light
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. clip — a video
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bass — low music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bulb — for light
  11. clip — to cut
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. clip — for paper
  17. cue — a hint
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. bass — the fish
  24. game — wild animals

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