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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: drill · mine · suit · bulb · season · cue · pound · firm

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. season — of the year
  5. pound — a weight
  6. season — in sport
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. suit — in cards
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bulb — for light
  12. drill — a practice
  13. cue — a hint
  14. firm — steady
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cue — for pool
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. suit — clothes
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. firm — decided
  23. drill — army training
  24. firm — a company

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