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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: tube · mark · cue · mug · straw · ball · bulb · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. cue — for pool
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a cup
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cue — a signal
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bulb — for light
  21. tube — a container
  22. mug — a face
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. straw — a straw man

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