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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: season · snap · cue · court · bulb · can · spell · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. can — a tin
  3. season — in sport
  4. court — for sport
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. spell — magic
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. cue — a hint
  12. court — of law
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. spell — letters
  15. season — of the year
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. cue — for pool
  18. snap — to click
  19. spell — a short time
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cue — a signal
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. court — of a king
  24. can — a tin

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