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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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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: net · racket · cabinet · mark · bore · tube

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. net — after costs
  10. mark — a grade
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — in sport
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. tube — a container
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. 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