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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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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: wake · band · ball · bay · tube · fall · cabinet · club

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. club — for golf
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. tube — the underground
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a great time
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. club — a group
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. club — for dancing
  17. fall — the season
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. ball — a dance
  20. tube — a container
  21. band — a music group
  22. wake — a trail
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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