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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
468
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: date · stick · foot · club · mug · object · bat · tube

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. object — a thing
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — the animal
  7. club — a group
  8. tube — a container
  9. foot — a measure
  10. mug — a face
  11. object — an aim
  12. mug — to rob
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. object — to protest
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. tube — the underground
  19. club — for dancing
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. club — for golf
  22. date — the fruit
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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