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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: pass · spring · pop · club · tube · object · rash · cue

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. club — for dancing
  3. spring — the season
  4. club — for golf
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pass — a permit
  7. tube — the underground
  8. spring — of water
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pop — soda
  15. object — an aim
  16. pop — music
  17. tube — a container
  18. object — a thing
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. rash — a series
  22. object — to protest
  23. spring — a coil
  24. club — a group

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