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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: tube · stock · bear · mine · perch · mug · lie · club

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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. mine — belonging to me
  2. club — for dancing
  3. tube — the underground
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mug — a cup
  11. lie — to recline
  12. club — for golf
  13. mine — for digging
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — shares
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. club — a group
  20. mug — to rob
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stock — a soup base
  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