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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. file — a document
  4. bulb — for light
  5. file — a line of people
  6. row — a line
  7. row — to paddle
  8. wound — an injury
  9. can — a tin
  10. cue — a hint
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bulb — for light
  14. can — to be able to
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. snap — to click
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. file — a tool
  20. can — a tin
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. row — a quarrel

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