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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: present · bulb · chest · cue · fine · pop · roll · mug

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. present — a gift
  3. pop — soda
  4. chest — a box
  5. cue — a signal
  6. roll — a cake
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. chest — of your body
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pop — music
  13. present — the time now
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. roll — a list
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fine — all right
  20. mug — to rob
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mug — a face
  23. bulb — for light
  24. present — there

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