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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 116 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: content · tube · kid · stick · ball · stock · craft · cue

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. kid — child
  7. tube — the underground
  8. cue — a signal
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. ball — a great time
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cue — for pool
  13. tube — a container
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cue — a hint
  16. stock — goods
  17. content — the amount
  18. kid — to tease
  19. ball — a dance
  20. stock — shares
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. content — happy

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