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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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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: bulb · stock · mouse · face · court · patient · wave · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. court — of a king
  3. bulb — for light
  4. court — of law
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cue — a hint
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. cue — for pool
  13. face — to point toward
  14. stock — shares
  15. court — for sport
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. face — to confront
  22. stock — goods
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. patient — a sick person

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