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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: object · rock · last · drill · bulb · court · prune · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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. object — to protest
  4. cue — a hint
  5. object — a thing
  6. last — finally
  7. cue — a signal
  8. last — to go on
  9. drill — army training
  10. court — of law
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. prune — to trim
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. prune — to trim
  16. object — an aim
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. court — for sport
  20. bulb — for light
  21. last — final
  22. rock — music
  23. court — of a king
  24. rock — a stone

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