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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bear — the animal
  6. degree — temperature
  7. court — of a king
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. degree — an amount
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. court — for sport
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cue — for pool
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cue — a signal
  19. chip — for betting
  20. stock — goods
  21. court — of law
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. stock — shares

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