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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 · tube · bowl · cabinet · straw · deal · bear · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. net — after costs
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bear — the animal
  10. net — for catching
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bank — for money
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. net — in sport
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. straw — dry grass

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