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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: bound · bowl · cue · kid · tube · suit · temple · cap

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. suit — in cards
  3. cue — a signal
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bound — obliged
  7. cue — for pool
  8. tube — a container
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bound — certain
  12. kid — to tease
  13. cap — of ice
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — child
  18. cap — a lid
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. suit — to fit

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