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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. net — in sport
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mug — a face
  6. file — a tool
  7. net — for catching
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. file — a document
  13. rule — a law
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rule — government
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. cue — for pool
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. file — a line of people
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. net — after costs

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