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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: degree · stick · pop · capital · saw · club · tube · fall

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. pop — soda
  6. tube — a container
  7. degree — an amount
  8. saw — the tool
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — temperature
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. capital — money
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pop — music
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. pop — to visit
  18. capital — a city
  19. fall — to drop
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. saw — the tool
  23. tube — the underground
  24. club — for golf

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