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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rock — a stone
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cell — in biology
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. tube — the underground
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pop — soda
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cell — a phone
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pop — music
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. tube — a container
  24. rock — to move gently

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