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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. deal — to handle
  7. cue — a signal
  8. clip — a video
  9. drill — the tool
  10. spell — a short time
  11. drill — a practice
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — for paper
  14. stock — shares
  15. drill — army training
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. spell — letters
  18. stock — goods
  19. spell — magic
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. prune — to trim
  24. tube — in a tire

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