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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: track · cap · foot · can · band · roll · club · tube

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. cap — a lid
  3. can — to be able to
  4. tube — the underground
  5. roll — a cake
  6. can — a tin
  7. band — a ring
  8. track — to keep track
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. club — for dancing
  11. cap — a hat
  12. roll — a list
  13. cap — of ice
  14. tube — a container
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. band — a music group
  17. club — a group
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. track — a path
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. can — a tin
  23. foot — a measure
  24. track — a song

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