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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: tube · bat · cabinet · nail · hand · race · bank · racket

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. tube — the underground
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bat — the animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. race — humankind
  12. hand — in cards
  13. tube — a container
  14. race — a contest
  15. bank — of a river
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. race — the arms race
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bank — for money
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bat — in an idiom

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