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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bulb — for light
  5. club — a group
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cue — a hint
  9. club — for dancing
  10. row — a line
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. cue — a signal
  14. row — to paddle
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pass — a permit
  20. wake — a trail
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. club — for golf

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