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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 · firm · nail · bulb · spring · stand · cap · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. firm — a company
  3. tube — a container
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. club — a group
  6. cap — a hat
  7. tube — the underground
  8. spring — of water
  9. firm — decided
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. club — for golf
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bulb — for light
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cap — a lid
  19. spring — the season
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. firm — steady
  23. spring — a coil
  24. cap — of ice

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