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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cue · wind · pop · mate · bass · cell · stock

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. stock — shares
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. stock — goods
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mate — a friend
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pop — soda
  19. tube — a container
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cue — for pool
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cell — in biology
  24. mate — to breed

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