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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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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: bulb · saw · rash · chip · mate · cue · ball · stick

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ball — a dance
  7. chip — to eat
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mate — a partner
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cue — for pool
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mate — to breed
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mate — a friend
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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