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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: mate · club · court · cap · land · rock · mouse · tube

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. court — for sport
  5. tube — the underground
  6. land — to come down
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. club — for golf
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. club — a group
  11. court — of law
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mate — a partner
  14. rock — music
  15. tube — a container
  16. land — a country
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mate — to breed
  19. land — ground
  20. court — of a king
  21. cap — of ice
  22. club — for dancing
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mate — a friend

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