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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: tube · bowl · bass · plane · wake · swing · current · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. cue — for pool
  5. tube — the underground
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. current — of water
  8. cue — a signal
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bass — the fish
  11. swing — music
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. tube — a container
  16. current — electric
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bass — low music
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. plane — a tool
  21. current — happening now
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. swing — in golf
  24. wake — a trail

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