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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: bowl · rock · straw · tube · rule · mate · bark · racket

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. rule — a law
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. mate — a friend
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mate — a partner
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rule — government
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. tube — a container

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