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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: row · cue · patient · pitcher · chip · tube · bowl · club

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. club — for dancing
  3. chip — to eat
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cue — a signal
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. row — to paddle
  11. tube — a container
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. club — a group
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. row — a line
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. cue — a hint
  22. tube — the underground
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. club — for golf

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