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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 116 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: firm · wind · mug · pit · present · content · club · tube

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. wind — moving air
  3. club — a group
  4. present — there
  5. content — the amount
  6. firm — decided
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. pit — in a race
  11. wind — moving air
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pit — a hole
  14. mug — a cup
  15. content — happy
  16. club — for dancing
  17. firm — steady
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. club — for golf
  22. firm — a company
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a face

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