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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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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: mark · club · cap · tube · mouse · bear · content · snap

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. club — for golf
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. snap — to click
  5. tube — a container
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bear — the animal
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. club — for dancing
  16. tube — the underground
  17. club — a group
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. cap — a hat
  21. content — happy
  22. mark — a grade
  23. content — the amount
  24. bear — to put up with

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