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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: bank · bulb · land · cold · firm · object · cue · charge

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bulb — for light
  3. object — an aim
  4. firm — steady
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. cue — a hint
  9. object — a thing
  10. firm — a company
  11. land — ground
  12. cold — an illness
  13. charge — electricity
  14. land — to come down
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cue — a signal
  20. object — to protest
  21. bank — for money
  22. cue — for pool
  23. land — a country
  24. bulb — of a plant

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