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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 116 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: rush · game · bear · stick · cue · court · bulb · ball

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. court — for sport
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. game — a match
  10. cue — a signal
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. court — of law
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. court — of a king
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bulb — for light
  22. game — wild animals
  23. cue — for pool
  24. ball — a great time

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