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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 116 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: bulb · track · ground · cold · cue · straw · key · trunk

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ground — a position
  4. track — a path
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cold — an illness
  8. ground — crushed
  9. key — the most important part
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cue — a hint
  13. key — for a lock
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. ground — the earth
  16. cue — a signal
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. key — in music
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. track — a song
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. track — to keep track
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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