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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: cue · ground · tube · spring · charge · bowl · plane · branch

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. tube — a container
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. spring — of water
  6. cue — for pool
  7. tube — the underground
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. ground — crushed
  14. charge — a price
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — the earth
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — in control
  20. spring — a coil
  21. cue — a hint
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. spring — the season

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