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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: swing · nail · cue · foot · snap · kid · pit · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cue — a signal
  3. pit — in a race
  4. kid — to tease
  5. cue — for pool
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. cue — a hint
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pit — a hole
  17. swing — music
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. kid — child
  23. swing — in golf
  24. snap — to click

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