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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 124 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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. game — wild animals
  4. cue — a hint
  5. saw — the tool
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. lean — thin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. saw — the tool
  10. root — the cause
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. game — a match
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cue — for pool
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. cue — a signal

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