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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: mug · cue · bore · bass · wave · kid · tube · court

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. court — for sport
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cue — a hint
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. tube — a container
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — to rob
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mug — a cup
  22. court — of a king
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. court — of law

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