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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: chair · game · stand · drill · bulb · pop · cue · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pop — soda
  7. bulb — for light
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cue — for pool
  11. stand — to bear
  12. game — wild animals
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. game — a match
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. drill — army training
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — music

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