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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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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: pound · bowl · kid · object · cue · clip · bulb · trunk

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. clip — for paper
  3. object — to protest
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. object — a thing
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. cue — a signal
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. cue — a hint
  20. kid — child
  21. object — an aim
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. clip — a video
  24. trunk — of a car

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