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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.

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: stick · racket · last · wind · pop · rash · scale · tube

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. pop — music
  5. wind — moving air
  6. tube — a container
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. wind — moving air
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. last — finally
  12. last — to go on
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pop — soda
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rash — hasty
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. last — final
  22. rash — a series
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pop — to visit

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