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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: key · straw · content · tube · rush · bore · stick · club

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — a group
  4. key — in music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. tube — the underground
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bore — to tire
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. club — for golf
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. key — the most important part
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bore — to drill
  24. straw — a straw man

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