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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: cue · bulb · clip · object · track · safe · mate · pit

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. object — an aim
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pit — in a race
  8. mate — to breed
  9. clip — for paper
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. clip — to cut
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cue — a signal
  15. object — a thing
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — a friend
  18. object — to protest
  19. track — a path
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. clip — a video
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. pit — a hole

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