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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.

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: mine · cue · squash · bulb · bay · pitch · leaves · file

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. file — a document
  4. cue — a signal
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. file — a line of people
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bulb — for light
  15. file — a tool
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. cue — a hint
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pitch — a sports field

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