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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: tube · ball · club · jam · wake · bound · ground · rush

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bound — certain
  4. ground — a position
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bound — tied together
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. tube — a container
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wake — a trail
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. club — a group
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bound — obliged
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. tube — the underground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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