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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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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: club · cue · deal · rule · can · toast · tube · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. can — a tin
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. deal — to handle
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. cue — a signal
  16. tube — the underground
  17. can — to be able to
  18. rule — a law
  19. pound — a weight
  20. tube — a container
  21. club — a group
  22. toast — bread
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. can — a tin

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