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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: calf · cue · game · straw · ground · bound · prune · bulb

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. ground — a position
  3. bound — certain
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. prune — to trim
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cue — a signal
  10. ground — the earth
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bound — tied together
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. ground — crushed
  15. game — wild animals
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bound — obliged
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bulb — for light
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cue — for pool
  24. game — a match

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