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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: bulb · band · cabinet · cue · shower · suit · ball · court

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bulb — for light
  5. court — of law
  6. shower — rain
  7. cue — a signal
  8. ball — a dance
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cue — for pool
  11. shower — to wash
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. suit — clothes
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. cue — a hint
  18. band — a music group
  19. court — of a king
  20. band — a ring
  21. ball — a great time
  22. court — for sport
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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