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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: dip · land · club · bear · stick · can · tube · sharp

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. dip — to sink
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. land — a country
  7. can — a tin
  8. bear — the animal
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. land — to come down
  12. bear — the animal
  13. can — a tin
  14. land — ground
  15. club — a group
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. club — for golf
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. club — for dancing
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. can — to be able to
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bear — to put up with

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