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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. net — after costs
  5. cap — a hat
  6. staff — a stick
  7. net — for catching
  8. stock — goods
  9. cap — a lid
  10. tube — a container
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. staff — employees
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. net — in sport
  18. stock — shares
  19. cap — of ice
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. staff — employees
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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