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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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Word bank
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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: squash · cell · ball · bear · club · tube · file · mine

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. cell — a phone
  5. club — for golf
  6. cell — in biology
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. ball — a great time
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. club — a group
  15. tube — a container
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. tube — the underground

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