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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: tube · file · bass · fan · pit · straw · cue · bay

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. file — a tool
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. cue — a signal
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bass — low music
  12. file — a document
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — the fish
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. cue — for pool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. straw — a straw man

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