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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: last · mug · tube · tear · key · firm · club · cap

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. club — a group
  3. tube — a container
  4. key — for a lock
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. club — for golf
  10. tear — to rip
  11. last — to go on
  12. cap — of ice
  13. last — finally
  14. firm — decided
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mug — a cup
  17. tube — the underground
  18. key — in music
  19. firm — steady
  20. last — final
  21. club — for dancing
  22. tear — from crying
  23. firm — a company
  24. mug — to rob

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