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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: rest · face · cue · club · season · tube · can · pound

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. cue — a hint
  3. tube — a container
  4. club — for dancing
  5. can — a tin
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. face — to confront
  9. rest — what's left
  10. face — part of the head
  11. can — to be able to
  12. club — a group
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pound — a weight
  15. face — to point toward
  16. rest — what's left
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. club — for golf
  20. tube — the underground
  21. can — a tin
  22. cue — for pool
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. cue — a signal

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