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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bank — for money
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pop — music
  11. bat — the animal
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. tube — a container
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bank — for money
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pop — soda
  22. wax — to grow
  23. roll — a cake
  24. tube — the underground

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