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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: arm · tube · club · mouse · roll · dip · pound · bass

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. roll — a cake
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. club — a group
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bass — the fish
  8. dip — to sink
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. club — for golf
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. tube — a container
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. roll — a list
  15. pound — a weight
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bass — low music
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. arm — part of the body

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