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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bulb — for light
  6. squash — to crush
  7. hand — in cards
  8. cue — for pool
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bulb — for light
  11. field — for sport
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. hand — help
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. squash — the sport
  17. cue — a signal
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. deal — to handle
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — a subject
  24. bulb — of a plant

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