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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: tube · fork · toast · bowl · kid · track · cue · wind

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. track — to keep track
  4. kid — child
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cue — a signal
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wind — moving air
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. cue — a hint
  24. kid — to tease

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