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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: bulb · straw · calf · cue · game · content · stand · spring

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. cue — for pool
  3. content — the amount
  4. bulb — for light
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cue — a signal
  11. content — happy
  12. game — a match
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. spring — the season
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. game — wild animals
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — of water
  24. stand — for spectators

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