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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've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. tube — a container
  6. cue — for pool
  7. land — to come down
  8. suit — in cards
  9. stock — shares
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. land — a country
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rest — a break
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stock — goods
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. land — ground
  20. tube — the underground
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rest — what's left
  23. chair — a leader
  24. suit — to fit

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