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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. ball — a great time
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fine — high quality
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. ball — a dance
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bound — obliged
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fine — all right
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bound — tied together
  20. tube — a container
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bound — certain
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bulb — for light

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