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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 · lie · club · bear · jam · cue · saw · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. club — for dancing
  9. cue — for pool
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bear — the animal
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. cue — a hint
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bulb — for light
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bear — to put up with

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