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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 · club · bore · tube · field · ball · stem

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bore — to drill
  7. field — a subject
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. cue — a hint
  10. club — a group
  11. cue — a signal
  12. stem — to come from
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — for sport
  15. tube — the underground
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. tube — a container
  20. last — final
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bore — to tire
  24. club — for golf

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