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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bass — low music
  4. degree — from a university
  5. hand — help
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. cue — a hint
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bulb — for light
  10. drill — a practice
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bass — the fish
  13. net — in sport
  14. hand — in cards
  15. cue — for pool
  16. drill — the tool
  17. net — after costs
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. drill — army training
  21. net — for catching
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — an amount
  24. hand — part of the body

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