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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: band · swing · face · club · bear · tube · land · object

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. land — a country
  3. swing — music
  4. tube — a container
  5. club — for golf
  6. land — to come down
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. face — part of the head
  11. swing — in golf
  12. object — a thing
  13. land — ground
  14. object — to protest
  15. swing — to play on
  16. club — a group
  17. object — an aim
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. band — a ring
  21. face — to point toward
  22. band — a music group
  23. club — for dancing
  24. face — to confront

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