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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.

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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: bay · tube · shower · pop · club · racket · content · lean

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. club — a group
  7. pop — soda
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. club — for dancing
  14. lean — to bend
  15. content — the amount
  16. pop — music
  17. shower — rain
  18. pop — to visit
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. content — happy
  22. lean — thin
  23. shower — to wash
  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