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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: patient · bowl · present · club · lean · tube · tear · pound

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pound — a weight
  3. club — for golf
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. lean — to bend
  10. club — for dancing
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. present — the time now
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. club — a group
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. tear — to rip
  18. lean — thin
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — there
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. tear — from crying
  24. lean — to rest against

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