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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: straw · bound · pit · tube · wax · club · cap · root

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. wax — to grow
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. root — of a plant
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. root — of a word
  14. bound — obliged
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bound — certain
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for dancing
  19. tube — a container
  20. root — the cause
  21. bound — tied together
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  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