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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. club — for dancing
  3. suit — in cards
  4. pop — music
  5. staff — a stick
  6. club — for golf
  7. wake — a trail
  8. suit — clothes
  9. pop — to visit
  10. club — a group
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. spring — the season
  14. staff — employees
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. spring — a coil
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. spring — of water
  19. pop — soda
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. tube — a container
  23. staff — employees
  24. suit — to fit

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