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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: rock · wound · club · tube · cue · hide · pitch · mark

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. club — for golf
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rock — music
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. mark — a grade
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. wound — an injury
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. tube — a container
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. club — for dancing
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. club — a group
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mark — a trace

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