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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 120 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bulb — for light
  7. court — of a king
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. court — for sport
  15. club — for golf
  16. cue — a hint
  17. club — a group
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bulb — for light
  24. court — of law

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