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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: club · tube · pop · cue · game · dip · mouse · band

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. game — wild animals
  3. club — a group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. pop — to visit
  11. dip — to sink
  12. cue — a signal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. tube — a container
  15. cue — a hint
  16. club — for golf
  17. game — a match
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. club — for dancing
  20. tube — the underground
  21. cue — for pool
  22. pop — music
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. dip — a sauce

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