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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 116 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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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 · squash · safe · chair · wound · tube · suit · band

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. club — a group
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. band — a ring
  6. wound — an injury
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. tube — the underground
  9. suit — to fit
  10. club — for golf
  11. squash — the sport
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. squash — to crush
  16. wound — an injury
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. suit — in cards
  19. band — a music group
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. club — for dancing
  22. suit — clothes
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. band — a rubber band

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