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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: saw · bay · can · content · tube · fall · cue · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. cue — for pool
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fall — the season
  8. tube — the underground
  9. content — the amount
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. fall — to drop
  13. can — to be able to
  14. saw — the tool
  15. can — a tin
  16. swing — in golf
  17. tube — a container
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. can — a tin
  22. fall — to drop
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. content — happy

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