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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. tube — a container
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. dip — to sink
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. band — a music group
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. band — a ring
  12. can — a tin
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. can — to be able to
  15. capital — money
  16. can — a tin
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. tube — the underground
  19. capital — a city
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for golf
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. dip — a sauce

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