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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: trunk · tube · date · rule · squash · can · hand · cue

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. rule — a law
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. tube — a container
  7. hand — in cards
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. can — a tin
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cue — a hint
  16. date — the fruit
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. cue — for pool
  20. hand — help
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. rule — government
  24. squash — the sport

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