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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: club · rush · mate · mug · perch · row · capital · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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. row — a quarrel
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. club — for dancing
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rush — hurry
  8. row — a line
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. club — for golf
  11. mug — a face
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. club — a group
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mug — a cup
  16. tube — the underground
  17. capital — a city
  18. row — to paddle
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — a partner

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