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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: ruler · cue · dip · content · tube · wound · cabinet · pitch

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. content — happy
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — a signal
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. pitch — completely
  22. content — the amount
  23. tube — a container
  24. dip — to sink

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