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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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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: last · cue · pound · bore · fan · ball · straw · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bore — to tire
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cue — for pool
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. cue — a signal
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — finally
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. last — final
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. ball — a great time
  24. straw — dry grass

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