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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 · chest · nail · ruler · rock · bowl · racket · last

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. chest — of your body
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. last — to go on
  10. tube — a container
  11. last — final
  12. rock — a stone
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. last — finally
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rock — music
  19. chest — of your body
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. chest — a box
  24. racket — for tennis

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