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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: cue · tube · pop · drill · prune · rush · safe · club

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. prune — to trim
  3. tube — a container
  4. drill — the tool
  5. club — for dancing
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. rush — hurry
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cue — a signal
  13. drill — army training
  14. cue — for pool
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cue — a hint
  17. club — for golf
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. club — a group
  21. prune — to trim
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. safe — out of danger

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