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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: roll · bulb · shower · straw · cue · chip · band · mouse

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. cue — for pool
  3. shower — rain
  4. band — a music group
  5. chip — for betting
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cue — a hint
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. band — a ring
  15. roll — a cake
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. roll — a list
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. chip — to eat
  24. band — a rubber band

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