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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hand · club · coach · cap · land · ruler · ball · tube

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. ball — a dance
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. land — ground
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. land — a country
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. hand — help
  9. tube — the underground
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. club — a group
  12. hand — in cards
  13. ball — a great time
  14. cap — a hat
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — for golf
  17. tube — a container
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a lid
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. tube — in a tire

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