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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: cue · cap · game · bulb · wound · staff · wave · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. firm — decided
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cap — a hat
  6. staff — employees
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cap — a lid
  10. firm — steady
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. staff — employees
  13. game — a match
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. cue — a signal
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. cue — a hint
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cue — for pool
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bulb — for light
  24. game — wild animals

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