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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. drill — army training
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. can — to be able to
  5. drill — the tool
  6. band — a ring
  7. drill — a practice
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. band — a music group
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in biology
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. tube — the underground
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. club — a group
  21. tube — a container
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. club — for dancing
  24. can — a tin

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