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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: roll · content · chip · straw · tube · safe · club · present

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. club — for golf
  2. chip — for betting
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. content — the amount
  5. present — a gift
  6. roll — a list
  7. chip — to eat
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. tube — the underground
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. present — there
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. roll — a cake
  16. content — happy
  17. present — the time now
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — a group
  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