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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bound — certain
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cue — a signal
  9. snap — to click
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bound — tied together
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bound — obliged

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