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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: root · snap · court · mine · hand · cue · ball · bulb

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of law
  3. cue — a signal
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. court — of a king
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. root — of a word
  12. snap — to click
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cue — for pool
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. cue — a hint
  18. root — the cause
  19. ball — a dance
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. hand — help
  24. mine — for digging

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