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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.

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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: pop · cue · content · bear · craft · tube · kick · cabinet

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bear — the animal
  5. kick — in football
  6. content — happy
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. pop — music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. content — the amount
  11. tube — the underground
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bear — the animal
  22. tube — a container
  23. pop — soda
  24. craft — a skill

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