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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: charge · club · tube · band · coach · calf · can · bulb

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. can — a tin
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bulb — for light
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — a group
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bulb — for light
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. charge — in control
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. tube — the underground
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a music group
  19. charge — a price
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. can — a tin
  22. club — for golf
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. can — to be able to

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