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

Word bank: club · safe · racket · capital · cell · tube

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. capital — money
  6. tube — the underground
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — a phone
  9. club — a group
  10. tube — a container
  11. cell — in biology
  12. club — for dancing
  13. capital — a city
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. club — for golf
  18. capital — a big letter

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