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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.

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: cue · scale · hide · rock · bulb · last · pitcher · net

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cue — a hint
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. last — to go on
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rock — music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. net — in sport
  17. scale — size or range
  18. net — for catching
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. net — after costs
  21. scale — in music
  22. last — finally
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. last — final

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