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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rock · board · bear · club · pop · tube · fall · bat

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. tube — a container
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. club — a group
  6. board — a committee
  7. club — for golf
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bat — the animal
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rock — music
  15. pop — music
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pop — soda
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. fall — the season
  20. club — for dancing
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bear — the animal
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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