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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — bread
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pop — soda
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bank — of a river
  11. tube — the underground
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bank — for money
  14. tube — a container
  15. bank — for money
  16. pop — music
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. land — a country
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. scale — size or range
  24. pop — to visit

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