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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: tube · mug · scale · bear · wind · mark · pop · cue

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mug — a cup
  4. cue — for pool
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mug — a face
  7. pop — soda
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pop — to visit
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. scale — size or range
  19. tube — the underground
  20. pop — music
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cue — a signal
  23. scale — in music
  24. tube — a container

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