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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. clip — to cut
  3. plane — a tool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. cue — for pool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. rock — a stone
  10. content — happy
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. club — for dancing
  13. pit — in a race
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. content — the amount
  16. club — a group
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. club — for golf
  19. rock — music
  20. pit — a hole
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — for paper
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — a container

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