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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
468
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: object · degree · cell · bore · coach · cue · bulb · fan

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. object — to protest
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. degree — from a university
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cell — a phone
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. cell — in biology
  20. degree — an amount
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fan — a supporter

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