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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: game · bulb · pound · rest · chair · staff · cue · perch

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pound — a weight
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. game — a match
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cue — a signal
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bulb — for light
  16. staff — employees
  17. chair — a leader
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. chair — a professorship

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