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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bank — for money
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. scale — in music
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. stand — to bear
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bank — for money
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bank — of a river
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cell — a phone
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bulb — for light

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