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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: suit · pit · wave · tube · cap · current · bat · cue

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cue — a signal
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. pit — in a race
  8. cue — for pool
  9. suit — to fit
  10. current — electric
  11. cue — a hint
  12. suit — in cards
  13. current — of water
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. cap — of ice
  19. suit — clothes
  20. current — happening now
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. cap — a hat
  24. tube — a container

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