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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. court — of law
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fine — all right
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bark — to shout
  14. court — for sport
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. court — of a king
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. fine — high quality
  21. cue — a signal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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