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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 120 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. band — a ring
  3. cue — for pool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. last — finally
  7. file — a tool
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pop — soda
  11. band — a music group
  12. prune — to trim
  13. tube — a container
  14. prune — to trim
  15. tube — the underground
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. last — to go on
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. file — a document
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cue — a hint
  24. last — final

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