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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 120 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: wake · present · cue · spring · court · arm · stick · tube

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. court — of a king
  5. spring — a coil
  6. court — of law
  7. spring — of water
  8. court — for sport
  9. present — a gift
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. tube — a container
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wake — a trail
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. present — there
  18. spring — the season
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. tube — the underground
  23. present — the time now
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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