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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: club · nail · fine · calf · tube · object · stick · bass

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. object — an aim
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fine — high quality
  5. club — for dancing
  6. object — to protest
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. club — a group
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bass — the fish
  20. object — a thing
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bass — low music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. club — for golf

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