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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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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: cue · deal · tube · rest · swing · bore · perch · date

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — music
  3. tube — the underground
  4. swing — in golf
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cue — a signal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. perch — the fish
  10. cue — a hint
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rest — what's left
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. rest — what's left
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bore — to tire
  20. cue — for pool
  21. rest — a break
  22. date — the fruit
  23. tube — a container
  24. deal — to handle

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