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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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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: tube · fall · cue · temple · pound · pit · rash · ground

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pit — a hole
  4. cue — a signal
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pound — a weight
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. fall — to drop
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rash — a series
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. tube — a container
  21. ground — a position
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. cue — a hint
  24. ground — crushed

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