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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: safe · tube · jam · club · cue · bat · shower · root

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cue — a hint
  9. tube — a container
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. club — for dancing
  14. shower — rain
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. cue — a signal
  17. tube — the underground
  18. shower — to wash
  19. club — for golf
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bat — the animal
  24. club — a group

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