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

Word bank: tube · club · nail · cell · bay · pitcher

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. tube — a container
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cell — a phone
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. club — for golf
  16. tube — the underground
  17. club — for dancing
  18. nail — on a finger

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