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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: last · mark · deal · cue · tube · bulb

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. last — to go on
  4. bulb — for light
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. last — final
  7. last — finally
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. tube — a container
  12. deal — to handle
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. mark — a trace
  15. tube — the underground
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant

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