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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 116 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bulb — for light
  3. hand — help
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. club — for golf
  8. cue — a hint
  9. club — a group
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bank — of a river
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bank — for money
  14. cell — in biology
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bank — for money
  17. mark — a grade
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. club — for dancing
  23. hand — in cards
  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