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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
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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: content · hand · game · bulb · cue · mine · wave · key

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cue — a hint
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. cue — for pool
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. game — a match
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mine — for digging
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. content — the amount
  15. hand — in cards
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. hand — help
  19. key — for a lock
  20. game — wild animals
  21. key — the most important part
  22. content — happy
  23. key — in music
  24. hand — part of the body

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