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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 · cue · bulb · date · pound · chest · mate · mug

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mug — a face
  5. bulb — for light
  6. date — the fruit
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bulb — for light
  13. game — wild animals
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mate — a friend
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mug — a cup
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. mug — to rob
  22. chest — a box
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. game — a match

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