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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 120 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. game — a match
  3. content — happy
  4. content — the amount
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. cue — a signal
  10. tube — the underground
  11. cue — a hint
  12. scale — size or range
  13. game — wild animals
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. tube — a container
  17. prune — to trim
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. march — music
  20. stand — to bear
  21. scale — in music
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. prune — to trim

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