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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. club — for dancing
  3. cue — for pool
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. club — a group
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bark — to shout
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. club — for golf
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. cue — a signal

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