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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: game · tube · cue · leaves · racket · saw · stand · stick

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. tube — a container
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. tube — the underground
  17. saw — the tool
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. game — a kind of play

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