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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: snap · suit · racket · straw · bowl · pitcher · rest · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. suit — in cards
  3. snap — to click
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. rest — a break
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. suit — to fit
  24. straw — a straw man

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