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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 · club · wake · bank · mug · plane · present · pop

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. present — the time now
  3. pop — soda
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. mug — a face
  7. club — for golf
  8. tube — the underground
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. present — there
  12. club — for dancing
  13. present — a gift
  14. bank — for money
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bank — for money
  17. pop — music
  18. bank — of a river
  19. mug — a cup
  20. pop — to visit
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. tube — a container
  23. mug — to rob
  24. club — a group

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