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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: content · ball · deal · ground · cue · jam · tube · row

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. ground — the earth
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. ball — a great time
  8. content — the amount
  9. ground — a position
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. cue — a hint
  12. row — to paddle
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. ground — crushed
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. row — a line
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. content — happy
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. ball — a dance

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