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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: ball · tube · wave · fall · pit · cue · rash · mate

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. fall — the season
  3. ball — a dance
  4. rash — a series
  5. tube — a container
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pit — in a race
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mate — a friend
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. fall — to drop
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mate — a partner
  19. pit — a hole
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mate — to breed

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