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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: hand · tube · club · bowl · tear · track · toast · bore

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. toast — bread
  3. tube — the underground
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. club — for golf
  7. track — a song
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. club — for dancing
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. track — a path
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. hand — help
  19. tear — from crying
  20. track — to keep track
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bore — to drill
  23. club — a group
  24. bowl — a dish

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