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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. race — humankind
  6. tube — the underground
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. tube — a container
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bulb — for light
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bulb — for light
  20. deal — to handle
  21. race — a contest
  22. cell — a phone
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. cell — in biology

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