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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: capital · bulb · lash · season · pop · cue · game · fork

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pop — soda
  3. cue — a signal
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pop — music
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pop — to visit
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. game — wild animals
  14. fork — in a road
  15. season — in sport
  16. capital — money
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cue — for pool
  19. capital — a city
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. fork — a garden tool

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