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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: game · pit · roll · bulb · pop · stand · cue · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. roll — a list
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pop — soda
  11. roll — a cake
  12. spring — the season
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pop — to visit
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pit — in a race
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. game — a match
  23. spring — a coil
  24. pop — music

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