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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cue · can · spell · arm · chair · stock · mate · bulb

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. mate — a partner
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. can — a tin
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cue — a hint
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. stock — shares
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. spell — letters
  13. chair — a leader
  14. mate — a friend
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cue — for pool
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. mate — to breed
  20. can — a tin
  21. stock — goods
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. spell — magic

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