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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 120 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: tube · bank · tear · charge · ruler · mouse · content · club

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. club — for dancing
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. tube — a container
  5. content — happy
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. charge — electricity
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. tear — to rip
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. tube — the underground
  13. content — the amount
  14. charge — in control
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bank — for money
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. charge — a price
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bank — of a river
  22. club — for golf
  23. bank — for money
  24. club — a group

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