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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 116 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: coach · content · cue · mouse · saw · bulb · field · chip

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. field — farmland
  3. chip — to eat
  4. cue — a signal
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bulb — for light
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. field — for sport
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. cue — for pool
  15. content — happy
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. field — a subject
  18. saw — the tool
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. chip — for betting
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bulb — for light

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