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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. net — in sport
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. net — for catching
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. spell — magic
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spell — letters
  21. tear — from crying
  22. net — after costs
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cue — for pool

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