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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
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: rock · mate · club · mug · field · straw · content · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. mug — to rob
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mug — a face
  8. content — happy
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — for golf
  11. mug — a cup
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. field — a subject
  14. mate — a friend
  15. content — the amount
  16. mate — to breed
  17. field — farmland
  18. rock — music
  19. field — for sport
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. tube — a container
  22. rock — a stone
  23. club — a group
  24. rock — to move gently

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