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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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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: pop · tube · mark · ball · hand · leaves · cue · coach

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. tube — a container
  3. mark — a grade
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mark — a trace
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pop — to visit
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. ball — a great time
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. hand — in cards
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cue — a hint
  16. pop — soda
  17. cue — a signal
  18. ball — a dance
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. hand — help
  22. pop — music
  23. cue — for pool
  24. leaves — to go away

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