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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
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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: wave · tube · capital · firm · roll · date · pop · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. capital — a city
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. firm — steady
  11. tube — the underground
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pop — music
  14. roll — a cake
  15. tube — a container
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. firm — a company
  18. pop — soda
  19. capital — money
  20. firm — decided
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pop — to visit
  23. date — the fruit
  24. roll — a list

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