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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: deal · tube · fan · suit · hand · clip · racket · ruler

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. suit — in cards
  7. tube — a container
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — for paper
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. suit — clothes
  15. deal — to handle
  16. clip — to cut
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. suit — to fit
  20. tube — the underground
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. fan — to cool the air

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