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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cue — for pool
  4. band — a ring
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. swing — to play on
  14. kick — in football
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. scale — in music
  18. band — a music group
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cue — a signal
  22. scale — size or range
  23. cue — a hint
  24. swing — music

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