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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: scale · shower · tube · chip · safe · march · rush · cue

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. march — music
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. shower — rain
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. march — the month
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. chip — for betting
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. cue — for pool
  18. shower — to wash
  19. scale — in music
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. scale — size or range
  22. chip — to eat
  23. march — the month
  24. tube — the underground

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