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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 · charge · firm · mug · net · club · band · wave

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. net — for catching
  3. tube — a container
  4. firm — steady
  5. mug — a cup
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. net — after costs
  10. mug — a face
  11. club — a group
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. tube — the underground
  14. charge — in control
  15. net — in sport
  16. club — for golf
  17. band — a music group
  18. firm — a company
  19. band — a ring
  20. club — for dancing
  21. charge — electricity
  22. firm — decided
  23. charge — a price
  24. wave — of the sea

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