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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: lie · cue · fine · bass · deal · bulb · cap · board

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bass — low music
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bass — the fish
  5. board — a committee
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cue — for pool
  8. deal — to handle
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bulb — for light
  19. board — to get on
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fine — high quality
  22. cap — of ice
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. deal — a big deal

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