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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: kid · pit · cue · ruler · pass · tube · last · squash

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. pass — a permit
  3. squash — to crush
  4. last — final
  5. last — to go on
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — child
  12. cue — for pool
  13. tube — a container
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — the sport
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. last — finally
  19. tube — the underground
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cue — a signal
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. ruler — a monarch

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