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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: wake · tube · perch · bowl · game · dip · pound · cue

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. cue — a signal
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. dip — to sink
  5. game — a match
  6. perch — the fish
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. tube — a container
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. tube — the underground
  12. wake — a trail
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pound — for dogs

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