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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: band · racket · present · can · cabinet · deal · straw · stand

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. can — a tin
  8. present — the time now
  9. band — a music group
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. can — a tin
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. can — to be able to
  19. stand — to bear
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. present — there
  23. present — a gift
  24. deal — an agreement

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