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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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Word bank
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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: cabinet · bulb · pound · toast · lean · degree · stem · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bulb — for light
  5. toast — bread
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. degree — temperature
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pound — a weight
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. degree — an amount
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. cue — a hint
  17. lean — to bend
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. degree — from a university
  20. lean — thin
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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