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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 116 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. ground — the earth
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cue — a signal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. firm — decided
  9. fork — in a road
  10. wind — moving air
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cue — a hint
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. chip — for betting
  15. cue — for pool
  16. ground — a position
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. firm — steady
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. tube — the underground
  21. chip — to eat
  22. ground — crushed
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. firm — a company

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