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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: roll · mark · cue · rest · tube · capital · kid · safe

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. tube — a container
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rest — what's left
  7. roll — a list
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mark — a grade
  12. kid — to tease
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rest — a break
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. roll — a cake
  19. kid — child
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. tube — the underground
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. capital — a city
  24. cue — for pool

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