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

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. club — for dancing
  6. drill — a practice
  7. tube — the underground
  8. suit — clothes
  9. mine — for digging
  10. tube — a container
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. club — for golf
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. drill — army training

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