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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. court — for sport
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cue — a signal
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. court — of a king
  10. swing — music
  11. cue — a hint
  12. court — of law
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rash — hasty
  15. cue — for pool
  16. rash — a series
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. swing — in 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