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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. swing — to play on
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cue — a signal
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bass — low music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. tube — the underground
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. tube — a container
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. swing — music
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bass — the fish
  24. fan — a supporter

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