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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 116 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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. capital — money
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — to tease
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. rush — hurry
  15. club — for dancing
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. tube — the underground
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bound — certain
  24. tube — in a tire

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