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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · bark · racket · foot · cue · calf · firm · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. firm — steady
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bark — to shout
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. firm — a company
  9. cue — a hint
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. firm — decided
  12. cue — a signal
  13. tube — the underground
  14. cue — for pool
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. tube — a container
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. hand — help
  24. calf — a young animal

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