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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: mug · cue · prune · bulb · court · pound · chest · mark

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pound — a weight
  4. cue — for pool
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cue — a signal
  8. court — of law
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mug — a face
  14. court — of a king
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. court — for sport
  20. cue — a hint
  21. mark — a grade
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bulb — of a plant

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