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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: bound · row · cue · object · pop · roll · cabinet · bulb

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cue — a signal
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. roll — a list
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. roll — a cake
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pop — music
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bulb — for light
  18. object — a thing
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bound — certain
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. row — a line

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