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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mark — a trace
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. spring — a coil
  10. track — to keep track
  11. spring — of water
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bass — the fish
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. tube — the underground
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. bass — low music
  19. mark — a grade
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cue — a hint
  22. spring — the season
  23. perch — the fish
  24. nail — for a hammer

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