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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 120 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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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: stick · swing · trunk · bulb · cue · race · court · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — a signal
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — music
  8. court — of law
  9. bulb — for light
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. swing — to play on
  12. race — the arms race
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. race — humankind
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. court — of a king
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bulb — for light
  19. court — for sport
  20. race — a contest
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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