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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: bulb · deal · nail · cue · club · game · race · wake

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. game — wild animals
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. club — for golf
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bulb — for light
  16. club — a group
  17. cue — a signal
  18. game — a match
  19. race — the arms race
  20. cue — a hint
  21. club — for dancing
  22. race — humankind
  23. deal — to handle
  24. race — a contest

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