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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: fine · straw · wake · tube · pop · can · club · root

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pop — to visit
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. root — the cause
  8. can — a tin
  9. pop — music
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. root — of a word
  12. fine — high quality
  13. tube — a container
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. club — for golf
  16. pop — soda
  17. club — for dancing
  18. wake — a trail
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. fine — all right
  22. can — a tin
  23. club — a group
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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