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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.

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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: stick · ball · trunk · cabinet · bulb · race · march · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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. cue — for pool
  2. race — the arms race
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. ball — a great time
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bulb — for light
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cue — a signal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — humankind
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cue — a hint
  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