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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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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: ruler · staff · fork · bear · tube · bat · net · rest

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rest — what's left
  3. staff — employees
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bat — the animal
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. tube — a container
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. staff — employees
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. tube — the underground
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. staff — a stick
  17. net — in sport
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. net — after costs
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. fork — in a road

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