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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: land · rush · club · root · fan · cap · racket · tube

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. tube — the underground
  3. root — the cause
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. tube — a container
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. cap — a hat
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. root — of a word
  14. cap — of ice
  15. club — for golf
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. land — a country
  19. land — ground
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for dancing
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cap — a lid
  24. rush — hurry

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