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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bowl · key · tube · mine · wake · dip · cue · bat

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bat — the animal
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. key — the most important part
  9. tube — a container
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. key — for a lock
  12. dip — to sink
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wake — a trail
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. cue — a hint
  23. tube — the underground
  24. key — in music

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