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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 120 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. rule — government
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. content — the amount
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rule — a law
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — magic
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cue — a signal
  16. track — a path
  17. spell — letters
  18. content — happy
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mark — a grade

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