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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 · racket · press · hand · bowl · bulb · bay · clip

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. clip — for paper
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hand — help
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. press — to push
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bulb — for light
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. clip — a video
  24. cue — a signal

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