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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bark · fan · file · chip · club · temple · pitcher

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. club — a group
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. tube — a container
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. club — for golf
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bark — to shout
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. chip — for betting
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bark — of a tree

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