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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cue — a hint
  5. ground — a position
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mark — a grade
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ground — the earth
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bulb — for light
  14. court — for sport
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. current — happening now
  17. court — of law
  18. current — of water
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mark — a trace
  23. current — electric
  24. court — of a king

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