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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: tube · kick · racket · band · bass · object · cap · toast

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. tube — a container
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. object — to protest
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. band — a ring
  12. tube — the underground
  13. cap — of ice
  14. band — a music group
  15. cap — a hat
  16. object — a thing
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. toast — bread
  19. kick — in football
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. object — an aim
  24. bass — the instrument

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