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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 116 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · club · cue · tube · mine · current

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. mine — for digging
  5. club — for golf
  6. tube — the underground
  7. cue — a signal
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. tube — a container
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. club — for dancing
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. current — of water
  17. club — a group
  18. cue — for pool

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