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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cue · band · toast · cap · game · squash · coach · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. game — a match
  3. cue — for pool
  4. band — a music group
  5. tube — the underground
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cap — of ice
  8. toast — bread
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cap — a lid
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. tube — a container
  13. cap — a hat
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cue — a hint
  16. squash — the sport
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. game — wild animals
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. band — a ring

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