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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 120 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: season · land · object · fine · club · chip · tube · spring

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. land — a country
  5. fine — high quality
  6. land — ground
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. object — a thing
  11. season — of the year
  12. spring — a coil
  13. fine — all right
  14. chip — for betting
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. object — an aim
  18. land — to come down
  19. chip — to eat
  20. spring — the season
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. spring — of water
  23. season — in sport
  24. object — to protest

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