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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: club · spell · leaves · deal · content · tube · staff · object

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. object — an aim
  3. staff — employees
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. content — happy
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. deal — to handle
  10. tube — the underground
  11. spell — letters
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. staff — a stick
  14. object — a thing
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. staff — employees
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. object — to protest
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. club — for dancing

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