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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: roll · craft · tube · fall · cue · chip · trunk · pop

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pop — music
  7. fall — to drop
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. cue — a signal
  10. craft — a skill
  11. roll — a cake
  12. cue — a hint
  13. fall — the season
  14. cue — for pool
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. pop — soda
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. craft — boats
  19. pop — to visit
  20. tube — a container
  21. fall — to drop
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. roll — a list
  24. trunk — of a car

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