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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: shower · suit · ball · object · field · branch · bulb · cue

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. field — for sport
  3. object — a thing
  4. cue — for pool
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. shower — rain
  9. field — a subject
  10. branch — a division
  11. suit — clothes
  12. ball — a great time
  13. object — to protest
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bulb — for light
  16. field — farmland
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. cue — a signal
  19. suit — to fit
  20. cue — a hint
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. object — an aim
  24. shower — to wash

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