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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: cap · tube · suit · chair · calf · firm · key · club

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. chair — a leader
  8. key — the most important part
  9. firm — a company
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. club — for golf
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. tube — the underground
  15. club — for dancing
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. club — a group
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — of ice
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — steady
  23. cap — a lid
  24. tube — a container

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