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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 · cell · straw · deal · mug · roll · racket · pound

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. cell — in biology
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. tube — a container
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. roll — a list
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. roll — a cake
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — a face
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cell — a phone
  21. mug — to rob
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. pound — a weight
  24. racket — a loud noise

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