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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: craft · clip · season · tube · ruler · bulb · cue · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. cue — a signal
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. cue — for pool
  8. clip — for paper
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bulb — for light
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. craft — boats
  18. season — in sport
  19. tube — a container
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. clip — a video
  24. season — of the year

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