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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: nail · tube · club · foot · content · board · fan · trunk

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. content — happy
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. club — a group
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a committee
  12. foot — a measure
  13. tube — the underground
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. content — the amount
  19. tube — a container
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. club — for dancing
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. club — for golf
  24. foot — the bottom

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