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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · net · straw · bowl · fan · rock · kid

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. cue — for pool
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bulb — for light
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rock — a stone
  17. net — after costs
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. kid — child
  20. net — in sport
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. net — for catching
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bowl — to roll

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