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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: pass · ball · tube · cue · field · key · wake · squash

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. field — a subject
  4. squash — to crush
  5. tube — the underground
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. ball — a great time
  8. key — in music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. squash — the sport
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pass — a permit
  17. field — farmland
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — a signal
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wake — a trail
  24. field — for sport

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