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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rock — a stone
  7. tube — the underground
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. present — a gift
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. snap — to click
  15. bass — low music
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. tube — a container
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. rock — music
  24. bass — the fish

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