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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · scale · bulb · content · bark · mouse · wound · cue

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cue — for pool
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. scale — in music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. scale — size or range
  8. content — happy
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bulb — for light
  14. content — the amount
  15. tube — a container
  16. bulb — for light
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. cue — a signal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. mouse — for a computer

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