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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 116 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: tube · net · perch · bowl · cue · club · court · mate

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. net — after costs
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. club — a group
  5. net — for catching
  6. cue — a signal
  7. court — for sport
  8. cue — a hint
  9. tube — a container
  10. club — for golf
  11. court — of law
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. tube — the underground
  15. court — of a king
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. net — in sport
  18. mate — a friend
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cue — for pool
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. perch — the fish
  24. tube — in a tire

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