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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: drill · band · suit · club · leaves · pass · firm · tube

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. drill — a practice
  4. tube — the underground
  5. pass — a permit
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. band — a music group
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. firm — a company
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. suit — to fit
  12. firm — decided
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. drill — the tool
  15. tube — a container
  16. drill — army training
  17. firm — steady
  18. suit — in cards
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. club — a group
  22. suit — clothes
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. band — a ring

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