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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · cell · coach · bear · staff · cue · degree · bound

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. staff — employees
  5. bound — certain
  6. cue — for pool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cue — a hint
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bound — obliged
  11. degree — an amount
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. cell — in biology
  20. staff — employees
  21. cue — a signal
  22. staff — a stick
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bound — tied together

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