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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: bass · ball · hand · scale · bulb · cue · rule · can

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cue — a hint
  4. ball — a dance
  5. cue — for pool
  6. can — a tin
  7. scale — size or range
  8. can — a tin
  9. ball — a great time
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. cue — a signal
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — in music
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rule — a law
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. hand — help
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — government
  24. can — to be able to

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