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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: bank · can · mug · bat · wax · club · fan · tube

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. club — for dancing
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. can — a tin
  5. bank — for money
  6. can — to be able to
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. club — a group
  9. bat — the animal
  10. mug — a face
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bank — for money
  19. tube — a container
  20. mug — a cup
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. club — for golf
  24. tube — the underground

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