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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: mug · board · firm · club · lie · jam · tube · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. board — a committee
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. board — to get on
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. club — for dancing
  12. tube — a container
  13. mug — a cup
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mug — to rob
  16. firm — a company
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. date — the fruit
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for golf
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mug — a face

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